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Culture of Bangladesh

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
At the very first moment, we would like to thank Almighty Allah to give us he spirits to accomplish this assignment successfully. Then we have the honor to offer our deep sense of gratitude, hearty appreciation and indebtedness to our course instructor Mr. Munirul Hassan for giving us the opportunity to conduct the assignment topic-Culture of Bangladesh. This assignment is conducted under his valuable guidance, tireless cooperation and keen interest at every stage of this assignment.

Culture of Bangladesh

TABLE OF CONTENT
Serial 1.0 2.0 3.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 11.0 12.0 13.0 14.0 15.0 16.0 17.0 18.0 19.0 20.0 21.0 Contents Introduction Bangladeshi Cultures National Signs of Bangladesh Social Bond Language And Literature Food of Bangladesh Clothing Agriculture of Bangladesh Handicrafts of Bangladesh Music Dance Drama and Jatra Festivals in Bangladesh Agriculture in Bangladesh Economic Institution of Bangladesh Political Institution in Bangladesh Religion In Bangladesh Conclusion Reference Page no. 03 04 05 05 06 07 07 08 08-09 09-10 10 11 12-14 15-16 17 18 19-20 21 22

Culture of Bangladesh

INTRODUCTION
Culture is a word that introduces us with the state of civilization among people. Everything that we have learned from our membership of the society that affects our belief and values is called Culture. Culture refers to the cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving. Culture is the part and parcel of a country. It shows us the real image of a country. The easiest and most dependable way to know a country is to know a country is to know her culture. Every countrys people have their own culture and so do we. In our everyday life what we do for fulfill our needs is called culture. As we dance and listen music for our mental satisfaction, we use language to express us, do work for earning livelihood. All that components are our culture. The main components of culture are its norms and values. Culture is the term that integrates knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs and any other capabilities and habit attained by man as a member of society.

Culture of Bangladesh

BANGLADESHI CULTURES
Bangladesh officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It was liberated from Pakistan at 1971 by a 9 month long sanguinary liberation war. Though it is a small country of 1, 47,570 sq. kilometer but it has a large population about 150 millions. Almost 90 percent of this population lives in the rural areas and 80 percent of our population are still depends on agriculture for livelihood. Peasant economy is the main mode of production in Bangladesh. Bangladesh's deep rooted heritage is amply reflected in her architecture, literature, dance, drama, music and painting. Bangladeshi culture is influenced by three great religionsHinduism, Buddhism and Islam in successive order, with Islam having the most pervading and lasting impact. Like a colorful montage, the cultural tradition of the country is a happy blending of many variants, unique in diversity but in essence greatly symmetrical.

Culture of Bangladesh

NATIONAL SIGNS OF BANGLADESH

Anthem: Amar sonar bangla. Flower: water lily. Fruit: jackfruit. Animal: Royal Bengal tiger. Bird: magpie robin. Fish: Hilsha. Game: ha-du-du. Mosque: Baitul Mukarram Mosque. Temple: Dhakeshwary mondir.

SOCIAL BOND
The main classification in society is based on money, prestige and land. Those have large amount of money or land are respected. Beside this some people are respected to be religious holy people as Moulobi, Brhaman, Father and Bhikku. Relations are emotional, irrational, formal and not mobile at all.

Culture of Bangladesh

LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

Another glorious portion of Bangla culture is Bangla language. More than 95 percent of the people of Bangladesh speak Bengali which is one of the earliest modem languages of the subcontinent. It originates from the eastern Prakrit group of the Indo- Aryan family of languages. Bangladeshi people have to get back it by language movement at 1952 from the Pakistani government. Now throughout the world 21st February has been celebrated as international mother language day as Bangladeshi people gain it by fighting at 21st February of 1952.

Since the early decades of this century, modem Bengali literature connected to the mainstream of world culture through the works of such geniuses as Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Rabindranath Tagore and the rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam while poet Jasimuddin's serious lyrical story illustrating rural life with its joys and sorrows, romance and patrol kept alive the link with the sweating lots. With this heritage to draw inspiration from, modern Bengali literature of Bangladesh has been throbbing with the creative impulses of a new generation of poets, novelists, playwrights and essayists. Many of their works have earned fame beyond the frontiers of the country.

Culture of Bangladesh

FOOD OF BANGLADESH
Bangladeshi food is parallel to Bengali food. The staple food of the people in Bangladesh is rice and fish. There are over 40 varieties of fish that are used in the cuisine of Bangladesh. Some of the commonly used fish are rui, rohu, katla, magur and chingri. Hilsa is a variety of fish that is also a favorite among the Bangladeshis. One of the most relished items among the people of Bangladesh is the platter of the panta ilish. It consists of panta bhat and fried hilsa fish. A side-dish of fried shutki fish is served. The platter also consists of dal, onions and fresh green chillies. The people of Bangladesh also enjoy variety of rather delightful sweets that include roshgulla, sandesh, gulab jamun and a huge variety of milk-based sweets.

CLOTHING
Bangladeshi women habitually wear Sarees. Jamdani was once world famous for it's most artistic and expensive ornamental fabric. Moslin, a fine and artistic type of cloth was well-known worldwide. Naksi Kantha, embroidered quilted patchwork cloth produced by the village women, is still familiar in villages and towns simultaneously. A common hairstyle is Beni (twisted bun) that Bangalee women are fond of. Traditionally males wear Panjabis, Fatuas and Pajamas. Hindus wear Dhuty for religious purposes. Now-adays common dresses of males are shirts and pants and common dresses of females are Salwar Kamij.

Culture of Bangladesh

ART CULTURE OF BANGLADESH

Bangladesh has a rich tradition of Art. Speciniens of ancient terracota and pottery show remarkable artistry. Modern painting was pioneered by artists like Zainul Ahedin, Qamrul Hasan. Anwarul Haque, Shafiuddin Ahnied, Shafiqul Amin, Rashid Chowdhury and S.M. Sultan. Zainul Ahedin earned worldwide fame by his stunning sketches of the Bengal Famine in 1943.

HANDICRAFTS OF BANGLADESH
Handicrafts and cottage industries play a vital role in sustaining the cultural heritage of Bangladesh. The prominent handicrafts in the early and Middle Ages were textiles, metal works, jewelry, wood works, cane and bamboo works, and clay and pottery. Later, jute and leather became the major raw materials for handicrafts. The most predominant features of Bangladeshi handicrafts are the extensive use of individual skill and the interesting design motifs. Nakshi Kantha (embroidered quilt), a very popular form of handicraft, is said to be indigenous to Bangladesh. The rural women of the country put together pieces of old cloth with crafty stitches to prepare these quilts to be used in the winter. Although kanthas (quilts) are utilitarian objects, the vivid patterns, borders and motifs often turn them into attractive works of art. In recent years the interest in ethnic arts and crafts has encouraged a kantha revival in the country. Many people now use these quilts for decorative purposes only.

Culture of Bangladesh

Several, Bangladeshi organizations like Aarong and Probortona export handicrafts from Bangladesh to all over the world. These organizations have played an important role in preserving the handicrafts of Bangladesh and increasing their popularity at home and abroad.

MUSIC
Bangladesh is essentially a land of songs, music and dances. The music of Bangladesh is emotional, ecstatic and romantic. One can find varieties of songs and music, ancient and modern, local and western including music instruments. Bangladeshi music tradition can be distinguished into three categories- Classical, Folk, Modern. The tradition of classical music, whether vocal or instrumental, is rooted in the ancient history of this subcontinent. It has been cultivated with great patience and passion by devoted musicians over the centuries. Internationally known sarod players Ustad Alauddiri Khan and Ustad Ayet Ali Khan hail from the soil of this country. Folk music, nurtured through the ages by village bards, is the most popular and timeless form of music in Bangladesh. Rich in devotional mysticism and love ores, folk music exudes authentic flavor and charm of the soil. The most well- known forms are bhatia1i, baul, marfati, murshidi, bhaoaiya and

gombhira. Some of the greatest

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Culture of Bangladesh

exponents of our mystic and devotional songs were Lalan Fakir, Hasan Raja and Abbasuddin Ahmed. Modern music is also supported by different talented musician by using world class instrument and technology. Modern Bengali music originated from two distinct schools. The first is essentially a blend of East and West initiated by Rabindranath Tagore. The rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam spearheaded the second, and experimented with a synthesis of classical, folk and Middle Eastern musical strains. The contemporary adherents of both the schools have been widening their range with new experiments. There are various native musical instruments which are indispensable for composing Bangladeshi songs. Among these, the best-known are: Tabla, Behala, Ektara, Dotara, Banshi, Mandira, Sharinda, Mridongo, Shorod, Setar, Tanpura, Esraj, etc. The harmonium, though western in origin, has been adopted by musicians throughout the subcontinent.

DANCE
Dancing in Bangladesh draws freely from the sub continental classical forms as well as the folk, tribal, ballet and Middle Eastern strains. Of the tribal dances, particularly popular are Manipuri and Santhal. The Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts (BAFA), set up in Dacca in the early fifties, played a pioneering role in the promotion of dances in the country. A number of other cultural organizations have helped in popularizing the art. No cultura1 evening in this country is complete without a dance number. The cinema has also popularized dancing. With the recent creation of the Academy of Performing Arts in Dacca dancing in Bangladesh is expected to gain further impetus.

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Culture of Bangladesh

DRAMA
Drama in Bangladesh has an old tradition and is very popular. In Dhaka more than a dozen theater groups have been regularly staging locally written plays as well as those adapted from famous writers, mainly of European origin. Popular theatre groups are Dhaka Theatre, Nagarik Nattya Sampraday and Group Theatre. In Dhaka, the Baily Road area is known as 'Natak Para', where drama shows are regularly held. The Public Library Auditorium and National Museum Auditorium are renowned for holding cultural shows. The Dhaka University area especially around Shahbagh plays a pivotal role in the city's cultural life. With the recent creation of the Academy of Performing Arts in Dhaka this vibrant art form is expected to gain further impetus.

JATRA
Jatra (Folk Drama) is another vital part of the Bengali culture. It depicts mythological episodes of love as well as historical and social themes. Legendary plays of heroism are also popular, particularly in the rural areas. In the past jatra was the biggest form of entertainment for the rural folk, who made up 80% of the country's population. Nowadays, jatra has been relegated to the back seat in the entertainment world. Gradually, popular western and Bollywood culture are having a greater impact on traditional cultural forms such as jatra.

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Culture of Bangladesh

FESTIVALS AND CELEBRATION

Festivals have always played a significant role in the life of the people of Bangladesh. Those are parts and parcels of Bengali culture and tradition. Brief account of the major and regular festivals are given below.
Pahela Baishakh

The advent of Bengali New Year is gaily observed throughout the country. The Day (mid-April) is a public holiday. Most colorful daylong gatherings along with arrangement of cultural program and traditional Panta at Ramna Park, Dhaka is a special feature of Pahela Baishakh. Tournaments, boat races etc. are held in cities and villages amidst great jubilation. Many fairs are held in Dhaka and other towns and villages. Independence Day March 26 is the day of Independence of Bangladesh. It is the biggest state festival. This day is most befittingly observed and the capital wears a festive look. It is a public holiday. The citizens of Dhaka wake up early in the morning with the booming of guns heralding the day. Citizens including government leaders and sociopolitical organizations and freedom fighters place floral wreaths at the National Martyrs Monument at Savar. Bangla Academy, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and other socio-cultural

organizations hold cultural functions. At night the main public buildings are tastefully illuminated to give the capital city a dazzling look. Similar functions are arranged in other parts of the country.

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Culture of Bangladesh

21st Feb, World Mother Language Day 21 February is observed throughout the country to pay respect and homage to the sacred souls of the martyrs' of Language Movement of 1952. Blood was shed on this day at the Central Shahid Minar (near Dhaka Medical College Hospital) area to establish Bangla as a state language of the then Pakistan. All subsequent movements including struggle for

independence owe their origin to the historic language movement. The Shahid Minar (martyrs monument) is the symbol of sacrifice for Bangla, the mother tongue. The day is closed holiday. Mourning procedure begin in Dhaka at midnight with the song Amar vaier raktay rangano ekushay February (21st February, the day stained with my brothers' blood). Nationals pay homage to the martyrs by placing flora wreaths at the Shahid Minar. Very recently the day has been declared World Mother Language Day by UNESCO. Eid-Ul-Fitr The biggest Muslim festival observed throughout the world. This is held on the day following the Ramadan or the month of fasting. In Dhaka big congregations are held at the National Eidgah and many mosques. Eid-Ul-Azha Second biggest festival of the Muslims. It is held marking the Hajj in Mecca on the 10th Zilhaj, the lunar month. Eid congregations are held throughout the country. Animals are sacrificed in reminiscence of Hazrat Ibrahim's (AM) preparedness for the supreme sacrifice of his beloved son to Allah. It is a public holiday.

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Culture of Bangladesh

Durga Puja Durga Puja, the biggest festival of the Hindu community continues for ten days, the last three days being culmination with the idol immersed in rivers. In Dhaka the big celebrations are held at Dhakeswari Temple, where a fair is also held and at the Ram Krishna Mission. X-Mas Day Christmas, popularly called "Bara Din (Big Day)", is celebrated with pomp in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country. Several day-long large gatherings are held at St. Mary's Cathedral at Ramna, Portuguese Church at Tejgaon, Church of Bangladesh (Protestant) on Johnson Road and Bangladesh Baptist Sangha at Sadarghat Dhaka. Functions include illumination of churches, decorating Christmas tree and other Christian festivities. There are various other festivals that are habitually observed by Bengalis all the year round.

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Culture of Bangladesh

AGRICULTURE IN BANGLADESH
Bangladesh has a primarily agrarian economy. The agricultural sector provides the principal livelihood of the people in the country. It is the single largest producing sector of economy since it comprises about 30% of the country's GDP and

employing around 60% of the total labour force. The performance of this sector has an overwhelming impact on major macroeconomic objectives like employment generation, poverty alleviation, human resources development and food security. Meeting the nation's food requirements remain the key-objective of the government and in recent years there has been substantial increase in grain production. However, due to calamities like flood, loss of food and cash crops is a recurring phenomenon which disrupts the continuing progress of the entire economy. In Bangladesh, the majorities of people are landless and work as agricultural laborers. Now-a-days, 45% agricultural laborers have no work at all those who do get work have no job security or reliable income. The salary amount of an agricultural laborer is very low. Most of them are inadequate, illiterate and have no basic human rights.

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Culture of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is now facing various types of socio-economic and political problems. Among these, the most difficult, complicated and probably the most important issue is the agrarian question. . One of the fundamental features of the economic backwardness of the agrarian question is very relevant for Bangladesh like any other poor country of Asia. If the agrarian question is addressed properly, the path of national economic development can be found. Land, no doubt, constitutes the most significant basis of sociopolitical power and the common factor of production for the overwhelming majority of the people. Today, land problem is the main problem to agricultural development in Bangladesh. Ownership of the land, its possession and cultivation, has sociopolitical overtones and economic implications, both simultaneously and mutually reacting around and reinforcing each other. Thus, an approach to locate the problems relating to land and their solution has to be, of necessity, comprehensive, multidimensional and dynamic. As Bangladesh has already faced these problems and very recently the path and methods of alternative agriculture, are being talked about. This alternative thinking is often called "regenerative," "sustainable," "ecological," "organic" or "natural agriculture," which are more or less based on the following principles: Make sure as much or more productivity as chemical agriculture; Ensure sustainability; Put less dependence on external inputs; Do not disturb the natural environment.

Now, rural people of our country are doing various types of jobs. Some of these jobs are related to agriculture. These are: Poultry Business, Dairy business, Rearing Cattle, Goat, Sheep etc.

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Culture of Bangladesh

ECONOMIC INSTITUTION OF BANGLADESH

Many industries in Bangladesh are still primitive by modern standards. Despite continuous domestic and international efforts to improve economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains a developing nation. Jute was once the economic engine of the country. Its share of the world export market peaked in the Second World War and the late 1940s at 80% and even in the early 1970s accounted for 70% of its export earnings. However, polypropylene products began to substitute for jute products worldwide and the jute industry started to decline. Bangladesh grows very significant quantities of rice(chal), tea (Cha) and mustard. More than three quarters of Bangladeshs export earnings come from the garment industry, which began attracting foreign investors in the 1980s due to cheap labour and low conversion cost. In 2002, the industry exported US$5 billion worth of products. The industry now employs more than 3 million workers, 90% of whom are women. A large part of foreign currency earnings also comes from the remittances sent by expatriates living in other countries. One significant contributor to the development of the economy has been the widespread propagation of microcredit by Muhammad Yunus (awarded the Nobel peace prize in 2006) through the Grameen Bank. By the late 1990s, Grameen Bank had 2.3 million members, along with 2.5 million members of other similar organizations. In order to enhance economic growth, the government set up several export processing zones to attract foreign investment. These are managed by the Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority.

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Culture of Bangladesh

POLITICAL INSTITUTION IN BANGLADESH

The Peoples Republic of Bangladesh is a unitary, independent and sovereign republic comprising three basic organs the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary. The Parliament of Bangladesh is a unicameral legislature consisting of 300 members. They are directly elected from an equal number of territorial constituencies, which is one from each constituency, on the basis of adult franchise. Earlier there used to be 30 seats reserved for women who were elected by the directly elected Members. This provision in the Constitution for the reservation of seats for women was a transitory one. Bangladesh is governed by a multi-party parliamentary system of government. The President is the Head of State and is elected by the members of Parliament. The President acts in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister and the supreme command of the Armed Forces rests with him. The executive power of the republic is exercised by or on the advice of the Prime Minister who commands the support of the majority members of Parliament and is appointed by the President. Other ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers are appointed by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister nominates the cabinet members from among Parliament members and one-tenths of the total members are from outside of the Parliament. The cabinet is collectively accountable to the Parliament. The Government is unitary in structure and parliamentary in form.

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Culture of Bangladesh

RELIGION IN BANGLADESH
Bangladesh is one of the largest Muslim countries in the world. About 83 percent of Bangladeshis are Muslims. Hinduism constitutes about 12 percent of the population. The country has small communities of Buddhists, Christians and animists. Most Bangladeshi Muslims are Sunnis, but there is a small Shia community. Most of those who are Shia reside in urban areas. Eidul Fitr, Eidul Azha, Eiday Miladunnabi, Muharram etc are the biggest religious festivals for muslims. The contention that Bengali Muslims are all descended from lower-caste Hindus who were converted to Islam is incorrect; a substantial proportion are descendants of the Muslims who reached the subcontinent from elsewhere. There are a lot of mosques and mazar in our country. Baitul Mukarram Mosque is our national mosque which is situated in Dhaka. Bangladesh is the third largest Hindu state of the world after India and Nepal. Bangladeshi Hinduism admits worship of spirits and patron deities of rivers, mountains, vegetation, animals, stones, or disease. Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja, Kali Puja etc. are some of the Hindu festivals. There are many temples distributed all over the country. Dhakeshwari Temple is national temple of Bangladesh. Buddhism is the third largest religion in Bangladesh with about 0.7% of population. Most of the followers of Buddhism in Bangladesh live in the south-eastern region, especially in the Chittagong and Comilla district. Budhdha Purnima, Maghi Purnima are their main festivals.

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Culture of Bangladesh

Tribal race constitutes less than 1 percent of the total population. They live in the Chittagong Hills and in the regions of Mymensingh, Sylhet, and Rajshahi. The majorities of them are lived in rural areas. They have different language, different social organization, different marriage system. Chakmas, Maghs , Tipras, Murangs, Kukis and Santals are the main tribes of our country. The tribes tend to intermingle and could be distinguished from one another more by differences in their dialect, dress, and customs than by tribal cohesion. Most Chakmas are Buddhists, but some practice Hinduism or Animism.

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Culture of Bangladesh

CONCLUSION
The multi dimensional cultural heritage of Bangladesh encompasses within itself the cultural diversity of different social and religious groups of Bangladesh. Bangladesh has a composite culture, in which the influences of Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam have been assimilated. It is manifested in various forms, including music, dance and drama; arts and crafts; folklore and folktales; literature, philosophy, fairs and festivals as well as in a distinct cuisine and culinary tradition. The indigenous communities of Bangladesh have their own culture and tradition full of colorful diversity. The riverine landscape and the monsoon climate are intimately related to the cultural practices of this country. This site is an endeavor to focus on the country's noteworthy cultural features including the lifestyles and culture of the indigenous people. This site has been structured to highlight six major areas of the country's cultural aspects in a simple manner for convenience of the tourists of both home and abroad while they prepare their itineraries to explore this country.

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Culture of Bangladesh

REFERENCE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Bangladesh http://www.bangla2000.com/Bangladesh/art-&-culture.shtm http://www.webbangladesh.com/history_culture/history_bdprofile.htm http://www.independent-bangladesh.com/culture/