বুধবার, ৬ জুলাই, ২০১১

Culture of Bangladesh: (part- 2)


Social condition of Bangladesh:

Bangladesh is a hierarchical society. People are respected because of their age and position.
Older people are naturally viewed as wise and are granted respect. Bangladeshis expect the most senior male, by age or position, to make decisions that are in the best interest of the group. This is also valid in businesses, the majority of which will be family owned/run.

Customs and Etiquette in Bangladesh:

Meeting & Greeting:

 Greetings usually take place between members of the same sex.The hand shake is common although they may feel rather limp. Women will only really be met within business contexts and even so, it is best to wait to see if a hand is extended before doing so. The traditional greeting for Muslims is Asalamu alaikum( means: peace for you) to which the response is wa alaikum salam(means: peace for you too).Naming conventions are very much based on the hierarchical nature of Bangladeshi society. Bangladeshis will append a suffix to a person's name to denote respect and the level of closeness between the two people. In general, age dictates how people are addressed. If people are of the same age, they use first names. If the person being addressed is older than the speaker, the person is called by their first name and a suffix that denotes the family relationship.

Gift Giving Etiquette

Gifts are mainly given between family members at religious holidays, especially after Ramadan and Hajj.In cities, it is becoming more common for gifts to be given on birthdays, marriage anniversary and valentine’s day.In Bangladesh the importance of gifts is in the thought rather than the value. Part of the reason lies in the fact that gifts should be generally reciprocated and it would be considered rude to offer someone a gift that is difficult to reciprocate.

General gift giving etiquette guidelines include:
When visiting a Bangladeshi's home, it is more common to bring pastries, sweets or good quality chocolates. If bringing flowers avoid frangipanis as they are used at funerals.
Similarly white flowers indicate mourning. Do not give alcohol or products containing non-halal meat to Muslims. Never give money. It is considered bad form to open gifts in front of the giver. Gifts are given with two hands.

Dining Etiquette

 If meeting with people for dinner here are some basic rules on etiquette and protocol. If invited to a meal it is rude to flatly turn the invitation down. One should always use less direct language to suggest that it may be difficult such as "I will try." or "I will have to see". Meals both inside the house and outside will usually be same sex. Many people eat with their hands and it may be that you share food from a common dish. It would not be seen as impolite if you asked for utensils. Ensure you wash your hands before eating. Guests are generally served first then the oldest, continuing in order of seniority.
Do not start eating until the oldest person at the table begins. You will constantly be urged to take more food. Simply saying "I'm full" will be taken as a polite gesture and not accepted at face value. It is therefore always best to pace yourself to allow for more servings. The left hand is considered unclean so only eat, pass dishes or drink with the right hand.

Business Etiquette, Protocol and Customs in Bangladesh

Communication Styles

Bangladeshis are quite implicit/indirect communicators. They tend to communicate in long, rich and contextualized sentences which only make sense when properly understood in relation to body language. It is important for people who come from implicit/direct cultures to understand that their communication styles may be seen as rude and the information provided inadequate.
Personal space is less of an issue in Bangladesh than many European cultures. Bengalis stand close when speaking to someone of the same gender and touch is common.
However, when speaking with a woman the space is often increased.

Meeting & Greeting

Business etiquette in Bangladesh is reasonably formal. Proper behavior is expected. Men greet each other with a handshake upon arriving and leaving. Foreign men should nod to a Bangladeshi woman unless she extends her hand. Businessmen should be addressed by the term "Bahadur" ("Sir"), while women may be addressed as "Begum" ("Madam"). This may be used with or without the surname. Wait until your counterpart moves to a first name basis before you do so.

Business Card Etiquette

Business cards are exchanged after the initial introduction. Educational qualifications are valued so include any university degrees. Present your business card with the right hand. Treat business cards given to you with respect. Merely glancing at it then throwing it on the table would be rude. Study it, comment on it and ideally place it into a business card holder.

Business Meetings

Meetings in Bangladesh are generally the place where decisions are disseminated rather than made. They will usually be led by the most senior present who sets the agenda, the content, and the pace of the activities. Meeting structures are not very linear in Bangladesh. There may be an agenda and a starting time, but they only serve as guidelines. Completing a meeting fully takes priority over time and may extend well past any scheduled end time. Meetings may commence with some small talk. Communication is formal and follows a hierarchical structure. Deference to the most senior person in the group is expected. This is especially true when dealing with government officials. One should never let their level of professionalism slip. Casual behavior may be misinterpreted as a lack of respect. Never lose your temper or show emotion. This may lead to a loss of face which will mean a loss of dignity and respect. The need to avoid a loss of face is also reflected in communication styles. Rather than say no or disappoint people Bangladeshis will phrase sentiments in such as way that it is up to people to read between the lines to understand what is being implied. Phrases such as "we will try", "that may be difficult", or "we will have to give that some though" may really mean "this can't be done". Therefore, it is important to ask questions in several ways so you can be certain what was meant by a vague response. Silence is often used as a communication tool. Many people comment on the lack of smiles in Bangladesh. This has nothing to do with unfriendliness but rather related to the fact that a serious face is believed to demonstrate maturity.

বৃহস্পতিবার, ২৬ মে, ২০১১

Culture of Bangladesh: (part- 1)

Culture of Bangladesh:


Bangladesh has a long history in its culture. The fertile land, natural beauty, the rivers, and the lifestyle of the common people formed a rich heritage with marked differences from neighboring regions. Bangladeshi culture formed along with these elements over thousands of years. Bengali language, literature, music, dance, myth, customs, games, food, festivals, social conditions, religious harmony is very rich and unique in the world.
This article is all about Bangladesh culture and traditional life style of Bengali people and other indigenous communities. It’s help you to learn about a rich cultural nation of the world.

Language:

Bangladesh, the land of Bengali language and culture. The language is an identity of the Bengali nation. The name of the nation and country comes from the name of language. The mother tongue of majority Bangladeshi people is Bangla (The official language, also known as Bengali). It is the first language of more than 98 percent of the population. It is written in its own script, derived from that of Sanskrit. Bangla is the 5th largest language of the world, spoken by more than 30 million people of Bangladesh and some part of India as well as all over the world where Bengali people are living.
Bangla language is influenced by other language like Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Persian, Portuguese, Japanese, English and some other language. Because Bangladesh was the colony of Moughal empire, British Empire, also a part of Pakistan from 1947- 1971. Moreover thousands of people from other nation of the world came here for trade, cultural, religious and other purpose. At that time some of words of those foreign languages were included in Bangla language.

The language become enrich and well-known by famous Bengali poets and writers. Rabindranath Tagore - the Nobel Laureate, Kazi Nazrul Islam, The national poet of Bangladesh, are vital part of Bengali literature. Michael Madhusudan Datta. Sarat Chandra Chattopadhaya, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhaya, Mir Mosharraf Hossain and Kazi Ahdul Wadud, Shamsur Rahman, Jasim Uddin, Sufia Kamal, Humayan Ahmed,Dr.Jafar Iqbal are the pioneers of modern Bengali Literature.
Bangladesh only nation in the world, where people sacrificed their lives to establish Bengali as the official language at the period of East Pakistan at 21, February in 1952. Now 21 February observed as International Mother Language day all over the world.
Besides, there are some ethnic groups in Bangladesh, have their own culture and language. Though, they are only two percent of whole nation, but their culture and language fabricates the nation gracefully.

বৃহস্পতিবার, ১৯ মে, ২০১১

History of Bangladesh


History

 

For much of history, the state that we today call Bangladesh has been a part of a greater India  and was known only as Bengal; what happened elsewhere on the subcontinent affected Bengal. The history of the modern state of Bangladesh has been short and, rarely, sweet. Born in a war that some call genocide, the nation’s history has been filled with an almost unnaturally large guest list of villains, tyrants, soldiers and politicians, as well as one or two ever so rare heroes.
Prior to the creation of Bangladesh, the history of Bengal was one that seemed to involve the constant meddling of foreign powers – sometimes this resulted in the glow of cultural splendor, but more often than not it descended into the tears of war.

Buddhism in Bangladesh

Strange though it may now seem in such an overwhelmingly Muslim country, Buddhism in Bangladesh is no small player in the nation’s history and culture. Countrywide it’s the third major religion but in certain areas, such as Chittagong division, Buddhists make up an impressive 12% of the population.
It’s not mere numbers though that makes Bangladesh important in the Buddhist world, but history. It’s not far from Bodhgaya (in present-day India, where the Buddha reached enlightenment) to Bengal, and the region has played a huge part in the development of Buddhism, including the creation of the mystical Tantric Buddhism.
Maynamoti Buddhist Bihar,Comilla

By the reign of the great Indian Buddhist emperor Ashoka (304–232 BC), Buddhism was firmly entrenched as the number one religion of Bengal and, aside from a few minor blemishes, it continued to thrive in the region until the 12th century AD, making Bengal the last stronghold of Buddhism in an increasingly Hindu and Muslim dominated subcontinent.


The Muslim period

 

They took some time to arrive, but when they did they left a legacy that continues to define the country to this very day. The arrival of the Muslims began with the trickle of a few Sufi (Muslim mystic) missionaries in the 12th century and the construction of the odd mosque on the fringes of Bengal. Then came Mohammed bin Bakhtiar (a Khilji from Turkistan) who, with only 20 men under his command, made short work of capturing Bengal and bringing the area under the rule of the sultanate of Delhi, the centre of Muslim power in India.
Under the Muslims, Bengal entered a new era. Cities developed; palaces, forts, mosques, mausoleums and gardens sprang up; roads and bridges were constructed; and new trade routes brought prosperity and a new cultural life. In 1576 Bengal became a province of the mighty Mughal Empire, which ushered in another golden age in India. Mughal power extended over most of Bengal except the far southeast around Chittagong, and it was during this period that a small town named Dhaka emerged from obscurity to become the Mughal capital of Bengal.

Brits abroad

For decades the Portuguese, Dutch, British and French tussled for influence over the subcontinent, but it was the British East India Company that prevailed.
It was during the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb (1618–1707) that a Bengali nawab (Muslim prince) sold three local villages to the British East India Company. Today one of those villages is a mega-city that goes by the name of  Kolkata. From here the British gradually extended their influence to take in all of Bengal and finally all of the subcontinent, but the going was far from easy.
Curzon Hall,Dhaka University( built in British period)

It has been said that the British Raj ushered Bengal into a period of growth and development, but historians hotly dispute this. To quote Monty Python, ‘What have the Romans actually done for us?’ The answer is that the British brought a great many positive changes to India, particularly in regard to infrastructure, law and government. Conversely, they also brought a great many bad things, including dictatorial agricultural policies and the establishment of the zamindar (feudal landowner) system, which many people consider responsible for draining Bengal of its wealth, damaging its social fabric and directly contributing to today’s desperate conditions in Bangladesh.
Most Hindus cooperated with the British, entering British educational institutions and studying the English language. The majority of Muslims, on the other hand, refused to cooperate, preferring to remain landlords and farmers. This religious dichotomy formed a significant basis for future conflict.
Though the British Raj has long since been relegated to the history books, the truth remains that the British adventure in South Asia remains one of the most significant events in the history of both Bangladesh and Britain. Today trade ties are strong between both nations and a large proportion of Britain’s Asian community hails from Bangladesh. Whereas once upon a time it was Britain exporting its culture and industry to India, recent years have seen something of a reversal, especially in regards to culture with Indian art, food, film and philosophy being exported to Britain.

Partition & Pakistan

At the close of WWII it was clear that European colonialism had run its course. The Indian National Congress continued to press for Indian self-rule and the British began to map out a path to independence.
With the Muslim population of India worried about living in an overwhelmingly Hindu-governed nation, the Muslim League was formed. It pushed for two separate Muslim states in South Asia. Lord Mountbatten, Viceroy of British India, realising the impossibility of the situation and, quite possibly looking for a quick British escape, decided to act on these desires and partition the subcontinent.
The Partition of East Pakistan did not lead to the extraordinary levels of bloodshed that marked the creation of WestPakistan , which led to the deaths of an estimated half a million people.
Though support for the creation of Pakistan  was based on Islamic solidarity, the two halves of the new state had little else in common. Furthermore, the country was administered from West Pakistan , which tended to favor itself in the distribution of revenues.

The Awami League, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, emerged as the national political party in East Pakistan , with the Language Movement as its ideological underpinning. The 1971 national elections saw the Awami League win with a clear majority; in East Pakistan it won all seats but one. Constitutionally, the Awami League should have formed the government of all Pakistan but faced with this unacceptable result, President Khan postponed the opening of the National Assembly.

War & peace

At the racecourse rally of 7 March 1971 in Dhaka (at what is now Ramna Park), Sheikh Mujibur (Mujib) stopped short of declaring EastPakistan  independent. In reality, however, Bangladesh (land of the Bangla speakers) was born that day. Sheikh Mujib was jailed in West Pakistan, igniting smouldering rebellion in East Pakistan.
When the Mukti Bahini (Bangladesh Freedom Fighters) captured the Chittagong radio station on 26 March 1971, Ziaur Rahman, one of the sector commander  of the Mukti Bahini, announced the birth of the new country on the behalf Sheikh Mujib  and called upon its people to resist the Pakistani army. President Khan sent more troops to quell the rebellion.
Genocide over Bangladeshi people by Pakistani Army

General Tikka Khan, known to Bangladeshis as the "Butcher", began the systematic slaughter of Sheikh Mujib’s supporters. Tanks began firing into the halls of Dhaka University. Hindu neighborhoods were shelled and intellectuals, business people and other ‘subversives’ were hauled outside the city and shot.
By June the struggle had become a guerrilla war. More and more civilians joined the Mukti Bahini as the Pakistani army’s tactics became more brutal. As documented in media reports at the time, and in several book-length studies since, napalm was used against villages, and rape was both widespread and systematic, although the actual number of women affected remains disputed.
By November 1971 the whole country was suffering the burden of the occupying army. During the nine months from the end of March 1971, 10 million people fled to refugee camps in India.
With border clashes between Pakistan  and India becoming more frequent, the Pakistani air force made a pre-emptive attack on Indian forces on 3 December 1971, precipitating a quick end. Indian troops crossed the border, liberated Jessore on 7 December and prepared to take Dhaka. The Pakistani army was attacked from the west by the Indian army, from the north and east by the Mukti Bahini and from all quarters by the civilian population.
Freedom Fighters( Mukti Bahini)

After a bloody war of  freedom fighters with the help of international community,Bangladesh become freedom.Bangladesh has lost its millions of people for genocide by Pakistani Army. Around three million people were killed in the nine month war, 200, 000 women raped and 10 million people forced from their homes. Pakistani sources claim that 26, 000 deaths occurred, whilst the international community quote anything from 200, 000 to three million deaths.
Surrender of Pakistani Army. The Birth moment of Bangladesh


On December 16, 1971, Pakistani forces surrendered, and Bangladesh--meaning "Bengal country"--was born; the new country became a parliamentary democracy under a 1972 constitution.The first government of the new nation of Bangladesh was formed in Dhaka with Justice Abu Sayeed Choudhury as President, and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ("Mujib"), The father of the nation--who was released from Pakistani prison in early 1972--as Prime Minister.

Learn more About Liberation War of Bangladesh:
www.genocidebangladesh.org 
www.bangladesh1971.org 
www.banglagallery.com 
www.wapedia.mobi/bn 
www.muktijuddho.wikia.com 
www.wcsf.info 
www.secularvoiceofbangladesh.org 
www.liberationwarbd.org 
www.liberationwarmuseum.org