Samina Luthfa

Samina Luthfa (Bengali: সামিনা লুৎফা) also known as Samina Luthfa Nitra is a professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Dhaka and a social activist. Luthfa employs qualitative and mixed-method research, primarily concentrating on South Asia. She also a key member of University Teachers' Network, Bangladesh.

Education and career Luthfa earned her DPhil from the University of Oxford. She has also got an MA in Sociology from Lehigh University in the United States, where she completed her second master's with a Fulbright Scholarship. She has been involved in various research projects and has supervised numerous MSS and Ph.D. students. . She is a theatre worker and founding member of Bottala -a performance space

Publication

Books Luthfa, S., Khan, T., & Kamal, M. (2022). The Bangladesh Environmental Humanities Reader: Environmental Justice, Developmental Victimhood and Resistance. Maryland: Lexington. Chowdhury, Z. A., Luthfa, S., & Gayen, K. (2016). Vulnerable Empowerment: Understanding Capabilities and Vulnerabilities of Female Garment Workers in Bangladesh. Dhaka: Bangladesh Mahila Parishad.

Research area and articles Source:

Media: Examining the framing of political protests in newspapers and studying the popular music preferences of Bangladeshi youth. Qualitative Research Methodology: Exploring action-based research in feminist political ecology. Indigenous Knowledge: Focusing on the agro-ecological knowledge of indigenous groups and their identity politics. Political Ecology: Investigating environmental justice movements and their impact in the global south. Gender: Studying discrimination against and vulnerabilities of female workers in Bangladesh, and the voices of women peasants and theatre actors.

Projects Luthfa has been involved in these projects: Enhancing Food Safety in Fish and Chicken Value Chains of Bangladesh: A USAID-funded project where she serves as a Gender Advisor and Co-Principal Investigator. Female Garment Workers' Rights: Research on the perceived vulnerability and capability of female garment workers in Bangladesh. Indigenous Knowledge: A Fulbright Scholarship-funded project debunking myths about indigenous knowledge.

Political engagement During the July Uprising in Bangladesh, Luthfa participated in discussions and seminars, highlighting the socio-political dynamics and the impact of the uprising and widely regarded as one of the figure activists of the movement.

Publications and awards Luthfa has published on her areas of research and has received awards for her contributions to sociology and activism.