Visible languages, invisible borders: exploring linguistic landscapes and class segregation in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract

This research explores how linguistic landscapes both reflect and shape socioeconomic inequality in Dhaka’s urban space through a systematic comparison of signage in developed and underdeveloped areas of the city. The study uses qualitative thematic analysis of 32 photographs across eight categories of signs collected from neighbourhoods selected based on Islam’s (1996) spatial inequality framework. Employing an inductive analytic process by following Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phase approach, five major themes have been identified: Language Hierarchies and Spatial Class Differences, Material Quality as an Indicator of Social Class, Authority Structures and Religious Geography, Commercial Branding and Target Audiences, and Visual Hierarchies in Multilingual Signage. The findings show that English-dominant signs are concentrated in low-density elite areas and are produced with high quality materials that signal cosmopolitan identity. On the contrary, Bengali-dominant signs are concentrated in high-density working-class areas and are typically hand-painted, emphasizing local identity and cultural belonging. Overall, this study shows how linguistic landscapes actively reproduce inequality by presenting class hierarchies as differences in language use, and creating forms of “sociolinguistic apartheid” even within multilingual signage (Sultana, 2014). Methodologically, it demonstrates the significance of combining rigorous urban classification with linguistic landscape analysis to reveal micro-level segregation invisible in official spatial categories. Eventually, these findings highlight the role of linguistic landscapes as hidden mechanisms to reinforce spatial inequality, with important implications for language policy and urban planning in Bangladesh.