Navigating the Policy-Practice Divide: A Comparative Analysis of Indigenous Language Policies in Australia and Bangladesh

This article undertakes a critical comparative analysis of indigenous language policies in Australia and Bangladesh—two nations with distinct colonial histories, political systems, and institutional capacities that have produced significantly different policy trajectories and implementation outcomes for indigenous language communities. This study examines how historical contexts, constitutional provisions, ideological commitments, and institutional capacity shape policy effectiveness. The comparative approach reveals that while both nations have recently adopted progressive indigenous language policies, persistent implementation barriers—including inadequate teacher training, insufficient resource allocation, and limited political commitment—continue generating significant gaps between policy rhetoric and educational practice. Australia's relatively more advanced institutional infrastructure, including the Closing the Gap Target 16 framework and dedicated funding mechanisms, contrasts sharply with Bangladesh's rudimentary Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education implementation constrained by foundational capacity limitations.