This language policy study examines the English language planning and policy of Bangladesh, a South Asian country with a long history of British colonization. Roughly 95 to 99 per cent of Bangladeshis speak বাাংলা (bangla)/Bangla as their national language but their level of literacy is routinely measured by their English knowledge. During 200 years of colonial rule, English was legislatively imposed as the language of schooling. Since gaining independence in 1971, Bangladesh continues to uphold the place of English in education. This practice produces inequitable access to education. In light of this reality, this doctoral research explores the historical and structural factors that have led to English language policy and planning in Bangladesh; the systems of inequality that have been sustained through language policy in the educational institutions of Bangladesh; and the impact of language policy on my life as a student and researcher. Drawing on historical-structural analysis and autoethnography, I interpret the following data sources: Bangladesh Education Commission Reports; newspaper articles; and my personal experiences. I combine autoethnography with historical-structural analysis because traditional research methodology in the area of language policy research focuses on language only from a sociopolitical perspective at the national level. These methodologies do not easily examine how language policy impacts individual lives. I add autoethnography because it allows me to bring in my lived experiences of language policy in Bangladesh. I systematically analyze my personal experiences in order to understand my cultural experiences as a language policy researcher. I also examine my perspectives, beliefs, and practice of languages as a language user. I analyze the policy documents and respond to them with my lived experiences of language policy in Bangladesh. Since 1947 in Bangladesh, rapid political changes have constantly influenced language policy. Schools and universities adapt their own language policy, a fact often not mentioned in the national language policy. As a result, I paid the unfair price of learning English to access education that brought advantages later in my life. I make recommendations for creating stable English-in-education policy and considering the impacts of English language planning and policy on students’ lives in Bangladesh.