Bangladesh at a glance
Official Name: The People's Republic of Bangladesh.
Capital: Dhaka
Location: Latitude between 20°34' and 26°39' North. Longitude between 88°00' and 92°41' East. Area: 1,43,998 Sq.km.
Boundary:Bounded by India from the North, East & West and by the Bay of Bengal, Myanmar (Burma) from the South.
Time: GMT +6 hours.
HISTORY:
The area that is now Bangladesh has a rich historical and cultural past,
combining Dravidian, Indo-Aryan, Mongol/Mughul, Arab, Persian, Turkic,
and West European cultures. Residents of Bangladesh, about 98% of who
are ethnic Bengali and speak Bangla, are called Bangladeshis. Urdu-speaking,
non-Bengali Muslims of Indian origin, and various tribal groups, mostly
in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, comprise the remainder. Most Bangladeshis
(about 88%) are Muslims, but Hindus constitute a sizable (11%) minority.
There also are a small number of Buddhists, Christians, and animists.
English is spoken in urban areas and among the educated. The history
of Bangladesh has been one of extremes, of turmoil and peace, prosperity
and destitution. It has thrived under the glow of cultural splendour
and suffered under the ravages of war. The earliest mention of Bangladesh
is found in the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata (the story of Great Battle-9th
century B.C). Evidence also suggests that there was a strong Mongoloid
presence as well. Soon after, in the 5th and 6th centuries B.C. came
the Aryans from Central Asia and the Dravidians from Western India.
Then came the Guptas, Paals, Senas, who were Buddhist and Hindus. From
the 13th century A.D. the flood of Muslim invaders and the tide of Islam
upto l8th century swamped the Buddhist and Hindus. Sometimes there were
independent rulers like the Hussain Shahi and Ilyas Shahi dynasties
while at other times they ruled on behalf of the imperial seat of Delhi.
From 15th century the Europeans, namely; Portuguese, Dutch, French and
British traders exerted an economic influence over the region. British
political rule over the region began in 1757 A.D. when the last Muslim
ruler of Bengal was defeated at Palassey. After the end of the British
rule In1947 the country was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Present
Bangladesh became the Eastern Wing of the then Pakistan. But the movement
for autonomy for East Pakistan started within a couple of years because
of linguistic and cultural difference and economic disparity between
the two wings. The seeds of independence were sown through the Language
Movement of 1952 to recognize Bangla as a state language. Ultimately
then, the East Pakistan emerged as a sovereign and independent state
of Bangladesh in 1971 after nine month-long the bloodiest war in modern
history of Liberation (starting on 26 March 1971) under the leadership
of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. On December
16, 1971, Pakistani forces surrendered, and Bangladesh-meaning "Bengal
nation"--was born; the new country became a parliamentary democracy
under a 1972 constitution.
PEOPLE
AND CULTURE: The Bengal region has a multifaceted folk heritage, enriched
by its ancient animist, Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim roots. Weaving,
pottery and terracotta sculpture are some of the earliest forms of artistic
expression. The best-known literature of Bangladesh is the work of the
great Bengali poets Rabindranath Tagore and Nazrul Islam. Folk theatre
is common at the village level and usually takes place during harvest
time or at Melas (village fairs). There are many folk dances, but classical
dance is largely borrowed from Indian models and is frowned upon by
the more severe religious leaders. Bangladesh's Muslims and Hindus live
in relative harmony. The Muslim majority has religious leaders, piers,
whose status straddles the gap between that of a bishop and that of
a sage. Hinduism in Bangladesh lacks the pomp and awe of the Indian
version, but consequently Hindu ceremonies are rarely conducted in the
depths of temples to which access is restricted. People here are very
willing for you to watch and even participate. Buddhists today form
only a tiny minority of the population. It's worth noting that the Bangladeshi
pride in ancestry is balanced by the Islamic slant of the country's
intellectual life, which tends to deny the achievements of the preceding
Hindu and Buddhist cultures. A typical Bangladeshi meal consists of
beef (or sometimes mutton, chicken, fish or egg) and vegetables cooked
in a hot spicy sauce with mustard oil, yellow watery lentils (dal) and
plain rice. Fish is part of the staple diet; however, over-fishing has
led to a scarcity of river fish and more sea fish are appearing on menus.
Alcoholic drinks are not widely available; head for five-star hotels
and ritzier restaurants when you want a tipple.