Bangladeshi Culture

History

Historians are of the view that Bangladesh may have derived its name from the Bang tribe that settled in the land dating back to 1000 B.C. The first mention of the region can be found in Alexander the Great's expedition of the Indian subcontinent during 400 B.C. According to records, Alexander's generals refused to go to battle against the potent forces of Prasioi and Gangaridai civilizations in the region. Buddhism spread in the region during the time of the Mauryan Empire that came to power near the end of 400 B.C. After the empire disintegrated to various kingdoms, Buddhists and Hindus took control of the region till 1204 A.D. With the rise of Muslims in the 13th century, the Hindu rule over the region was broken. Muslims then ruled the Indian subcontinent for five centuries. The Muslims (Mughal Empire) was overthrown by the British East India Company in 1857 (London, pp. 212).

Bangladesh became a part of a new state called Pakistan in 1947 and was named East Pakistan at the time of independence. East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) shared the same religion as West Pakistan but was separated geographically by India. In the year 1956, there were protests that demanded Bangla to be made the official language of East Pakistan. There were calls for separation from West Pakistan and in 1971, East Pakistan after nine months of civil war became Bangladesh. Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rehman, the leader of the separation movement became the first President of the country.

Appearance

Bangladeshi men often wear Western attire, especially in metropolitan cities, women are found to prefer wearing sarees, a traditional dress with the cloth wrapped around in a distinct way. Women also lay special emphasis on wearing jewelry as it also provides financial stability (in the form of gold). Women mostly do not wear Western clothes. Muslim women usually wear burqa, a veil that the entire body and the face with an opening for eyes. However, the federal government does not impose any requirements on women.

For men, the traditional dress is white pajama and Panjabi (a top that comes down to knee-length). In villages and rural areas, men wear lungi, a cloth wrapped the waist covering the legs till the ankles. Adults prefer not to wear shorts.

General Attitudes

The attitude in the country is distinct from that found in the West. Having a serious, calm expression on the face is seen as a symbol of maturity. Thus, people in the country do not smile publicly but that not signify unfriendliness. There is no custom of thanking some in return of a favor. Though there is a term for thanking a person (Dhannabad), it is not used in routine practices. People prefer to do a favor in return for one. In formal situations though, Bangladeshis do use the formal term to thank a person (Whyte, pp. 56).

The society in Bangladesh is based on a collective foundation and does not promote individualism. There translate to the family having the first priority. Friendships among Bangladeshi are ...