Bangladeshi daily life is replete with
traditions and festivals that
reflect the unique culture and tradition of Bangladeshis. Some of the
tradition and customs are as ancient as prehistoric days, while others
are relatively recent. The indigenous customs and festivals that has
been preserved and nurtured through the ages are principally center
around agricultural practices. These include nabonno (the
festival of the new harvest) and pawhela boishAkh (the Bengali
new Year). Religion has also played a distinct role in shaping the mores
and traditions of Bangladeshi life. Bangladesh is a predominantly
Muslim country, and Islam's adherents
in Bangladesh celebrate the joyous festival of the two Eids,
Eid-ul-Fitr, and Eid-ul-Azha, the month of Ramadan, Shab-e-Qadr,
Shab-e-Barat etc. Hindus in Bangladesh celebrate Durga Puja, Kali Puja
and Janmastami. The Buddhists celebrate Buddho Purnima and the
Christians Christmas. These are just a few of the religious festivals
and feasts that Bangladeshis celebrate in their day to day life.
National
occasions also mark Bangladeshi life, and these include Independence
Day, Victory Day, and the historic Language Martyr's Day. Social
customs like birth, naming ceremony, marriage, and death too have a
distinct Bangladeshi flavor with each ethnic and religious group having
their own unique way to mark these traditions.
National Holidays
The
National Mourning Day and World Mother
Language Day (Shaheed Dibosh)
On 21st
February of 1952 a massive procession was taken out,
led by the Students
Union of Dhaka University; and people from all walks of life
joined spontaneously
to protest against the declaration of Urdu as the sole State
language of Pakistan.
At that time Bangladesh was a part of Pakistan. The police
opened fire on the demonstrators
when they reached the location of the present day Shahid
Minar (martyrs monument).
As a result, five people lost their lives and several others
were injured. Since
then 21st February is observed throughout Bangladesh to pay
respect and homage to
the sacred souls of the martyrs of Language Movement of
1952. The Shahid Minar (martyrs
monument) has been erected at the place where the martyrs
shed their blood, and
it has become the symbol of sacrifice for the mother tongue
as well as any other
sacrifice for a national interest. The day is a public
holiday in Bangladesh. Mourning
procession in Dhaka starts at midnight with the song Amar
vaier raktay rangano ekushay
February (21st February, the day stained with my brothers'
blood). Nation pays homage
to the martyrs by placing floral wreaths at the altar of the
Shahid Minar. In 1996
the day has been declared World Mother Language Day by
UNESCO.
This February 21st day commemorates the
lives sacrificed
to make Bengali one of the national languages when Bangladesh was part
of Pakistan. The West Pakistani regime tried to force Urdu as the
national language, a fact that was strongly contested by Bengalis. On
that fateful day a procession by Bengalis was shot at by police
resulting in the death of 4 martyrs. The nascent Bengali nationalism
ultimately gave birth to the free nation of Bangladesh. Following a
proposal made by Bangladesh, UNESCO created February 21st as the
International Mother Language Day in 1999.
(Bangla is the official language
of Bangladesh. It is also spoken
in West Bengal. Bangalees protected Bangla from the clutches of
Pakistani oppressors in 1952 by preventing Urdu from being the state
language of East Pakistan where a vast majority of people spoke in
Bangla. Bangalees had to sacrifice lives for their mother tongue on 21st
February, 1952. 21st February being declared International Mother
Language Day by UNESCO, Bangla reached the peak of maturity.
Evolution: Bangla's direct ancestor is a form of Magadhi Prakrit or Middle Indo-Aryan which descended from Sanskrit or Old Indo-Aryan. Bangla evolved mainly from Sanskrit. Also Hindi, Urdu, Farsi, English--all contributed lots of words and terms to form this language. The Origin of Bangla Alphabet::Bangla alphabet originated from Brahmi alphabet of the Asokan inscriptions. The Bangla script in its present printed form took shape in 1778 when printing types were first cast by Charles Wilkins. There still remained a few archaic forms and these were finally replaced in the middle of the nineteenth century.
The Oldest Records: For old Bangla the only record is Charjapad discovered from a palace in Nepal by Haraprasad Shastri. It is a collection of the oldest verses thought to be the oldest records of Bangla literature. The language of Charjapad is basically vernacular, but at the same time it is also something of a literary language.
Two Styles: Bangla at the present day has two literary styles. One is called "Sadhu Bhasha" and the other "Chalit Bhasa". The former is the traditional literary style based on Middle Bangla of the sixteenth century. The later is practically a creation of the present century, and is based on the cultivated form of the dialect and day-to-day talks. The difference between the two literary styles is not very sharp. The vocabulary is practically the same. The difference lies mainly in the forms of the pronoun and the verb. The Sadhu Bhasa has the old and heavier forms while the Chalit Bhasa uses the modern and lighter forms. The former shows a partiality for lexical words and for compound words of the Sanskrit type, and the latter prefers colloquial words, phrases and idioms. The Chalit Bhasa was first seriously taken up by Pramatha Chawdhury at the instance of Rabindranath Tagore during the early years of the first World War. Soon after Tagore practically discarded Sadhu Bhasa, and Chalit Bhasa is now generally favored by writers who have no particular fascination for the traditional literary style.
International Mother Language Day: The UNESCO has declared 21st February as The International Mother Language Day to be observed globally in recognition of the sacrifices of the Bangla language martyrs who laid their lives for establishing the rightful place of Bangla. The proclamation came in the form of a resolution unanimously adopted at the plenary of the UNESCO at its headquarters in Paris in November 1999. In its resolution the UNESCO said-' 21st February be proclaimed International Mother Language Day throughout the world to commemorate the martyrs who sacrificed their lives on this very day in 1952’.
Evolution: Bangla's direct ancestor is a form of Magadhi Prakrit or Middle Indo-Aryan which descended from Sanskrit or Old Indo-Aryan. Bangla evolved mainly from Sanskrit. Also Hindi, Urdu, Farsi, English--all contributed lots of words and terms to form this language. The Origin of Bangla Alphabet::Bangla alphabet originated from Brahmi alphabet of the Asokan inscriptions. The Bangla script in its present printed form took shape in 1778 when printing types were first cast by Charles Wilkins. There still remained a few archaic forms and these were finally replaced in the middle of the nineteenth century.
The Oldest Records: For old Bangla the only record is Charjapad discovered from a palace in Nepal by Haraprasad Shastri. It is a collection of the oldest verses thought to be the oldest records of Bangla literature. The language of Charjapad is basically vernacular, but at the same time it is also something of a literary language.
Two Styles: Bangla at the present day has two literary styles. One is called "Sadhu Bhasha" and the other "Chalit Bhasa". The former is the traditional literary style based on Middle Bangla of the sixteenth century. The later is practically a creation of the present century, and is based on the cultivated form of the dialect and day-to-day talks. The difference between the two literary styles is not very sharp. The vocabulary is practically the same. The difference lies mainly in the forms of the pronoun and the verb. The Sadhu Bhasa has the old and heavier forms while the Chalit Bhasa uses the modern and lighter forms. The former shows a partiality for lexical words and for compound words of the Sanskrit type, and the latter prefers colloquial words, phrases and idioms. The Chalit Bhasa was first seriously taken up by Pramatha Chawdhury at the instance of Rabindranath Tagore during the early years of the first World War. Soon after Tagore practically discarded Sadhu Bhasa, and Chalit Bhasa is now generally favored by writers who have no particular fascination for the traditional literary style.
International Mother Language Day: The UNESCO has declared 21st February as The International Mother Language Day to be observed globally in recognition of the sacrifices of the Bangla language martyrs who laid their lives for establishing the rightful place of Bangla. The proclamation came in the form of a resolution unanimously adopted at the plenary of the UNESCO at its headquarters in Paris in November 1999. In its resolution the UNESCO said-' 21st February be proclaimed International Mother Language Day throughout the world to commemorate the martyrs who sacrificed their lives on this very day in 1952’.
It is a great
tribute and glowing homage paid by the international community to the
language martyrs of Bangladesh. The genesis of the historic Language
Movement which ensued since September 1947 with the students in the
vanguard backed by intellectuals, cultural activists and patriotic
elements was the first spurt of Bangalee nationalistic upsurge
culminating in the sanguinary events of February 21, 1952 and finally
leading to the war of Liberation in 1971. The UNESCO in its
resolution said-the recognition was given bearing in mind that all moves
to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to
encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to
develop fuller awareness about linguistic and cultural traditions
throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding,
tolerance and dialogue. Henceforth UN member countries around the
world will observe 21st February as the International Mother Language
Day. The historic 21st February has, thus, assumed new dimension. The
sacrifices of Rafiq, Salam, Jabbar, Barkat and other martyrs as well as
of those tortured and repressed by the then authoritarian government of
Pakistan for championing the cause of their mother tongue have received
now a glorious and new recognition by the November 1999 resolution of
the UNESCO.)
Independence Day
March 26 is the day of Independence of Bangladesh. This day is most befittingly observed by the government and the country wears a festive look. Military parade takes place at National parade Ground. It is a public holiday. The inhabitants of Dhaka wake up early in the morning with the booming sound of guns heralding the day. People place floral wreaths at the National Martyrs Monument. Different programs are organized on these occasion at state as well as social and various organizational levels. At night the main public buildings of big cities and towns are illuminated.
The day Independence
of Bangladesh was formally declared
on the eve of a 9 month long war of Independence with Pakistan that led
to the emergence of Bangladesh as a sovereign nation. After many years
of exploitation,
both politically and economically, the Bengali national sentiments led
to the massive victory of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Awami League in
the Pakistan National Elections of 1970. The ruling oligarchs in the
then West Pakistan balked at having to give up the reigns of power to
East Pakistanis. They stalled the installation of the newly elected
parliament, and on the dark night of March 25, 1971 embarked on a
genocidal
reign of terror aimed at extinguishing all signs of Bengali
nationalism. In the face of this, the inevitable declaration of
independence was proclaimed, and the fight was on for the people of
Bangladesh to achieve independence, at a terrible price of 3 million
people killed by the marauding armies of Pakistan.
Victory Day
Bijoy Dibosh. December 16. On this
day, after the
nine month long independence war with Pakistan, the occupying armed
forces of Pakistan formally surrendered
to the allied forces of Bangladesh and India.
Victory Day is a national holiday
in Bangladesh
celebrated on December 16. On this day in 1971, the Pakistani
Army surrendered to the Indo-Bangladeshi High Command in Dhaka,
ending the 9 month-longBangladesh
Liberation War and 1971 Bangladesh atrocities.
General AAK Niazi, the Commanding officerPakistani
Armed Forces located in East Pakistan, surrendered his forces to
Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora, the Allied forces
commander. India also commemorates victory over Pakistan on the same day
in 1971
on Vijay Diwas.
Traditional Festivals
Pahela Baishakh ( Bengali New Year)
Bengali calendar is a solar calendar. The advent of Bengali
New Year is gaily observed
throughout the country with great enthusiasm, which falls in
mid-April. Its main
characteristic is that it is a social festival and its
appeal is universal. The
Day is a public holiday. Most colorful daylong gatherings
along with arrangement
of cultural programs are special features of Pahela
Baishakh. Fairs, tournaments,
boat races etc. are held in cities and villages amidst great
jubilation. On this
day Dhaka City takes a festive look. The day starts with a
cultural program at sunrise
under the Banyan tree at central park of the city known as
Ramna Park. The Bali
Khela or wrestling, along with a fair, is held in Chittagong
in the name of a famous
anti-British rule nationalist called Jabbar. On the first
day as well as in the
first week of Baisakh, about 200 fairs are held throughout
Bangladesh. The Halkhata
function is another important feature of Pahela Baisakh
which is observed by the
merchant community. On this day, the customers pay some
advance and the merchants
treat them with sweetmeats.
Bengali
New Year or Poyela Boishakh
(পহেলা বৈশাখ Pôhela Boishakh) is the first day of the Bengali calendar.
Many of the traditional festivities in Bangladesh revolve around the
Bengali Year, the most important of them being the Bengali New Year
celebrations. The
Bengali Calendar is based on ancient sub-continental calendars which
was codified and standardized by the Mughal Emperor Akbar about 6
centuries ago. The start date of the Begali calendar was made to
coincide with the start date of the Islamic calendar (i.e. the date of
Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) Hejira). The calendar is a solar one which is
composed of six seasons that revolve around the region's agricultural
cycle.
Bangladeshis celebrate the
1st day of the Bengali calendar with
characteristic splendor, especially in Dhaka city. The day begins
as the very first rays of the sun hit the ground. Thousands of
citizens start this day is by visiting ‘Ramna Park" in the first
hours of dawn, where singers from local cultural clubs perform at
music programs to embrace the New Year. This place is where the spirit
of celebrating the Bengali New Year starts and continues
throughout the day. Another popular spot for cultural programs is
Robindro Shoroni at Dhanmondi, where the younger crowd celebrate also
dressed in red and white saris and panjabis. These fairs have
everything traditional- handicrafts, snacks, snake charmers,
cockfights, and so everyone gets a chance to be entertained and amused
the Bangladeshi way. One not -to-be-missed event on Pahela Boishakh is
the parade
led by the students of Charukala, the Institue of Fine Arts of the
University of Dhaka. The students religiously create colorful new
masks and effigies every year, which they show off in the main
streets.
In the afternoon most people
head to the ‘melas’, local fairs
that have everything from cloth stores to traditional ferris wheels!
In the evening, drama and poetry performances at Bailey Road and
Chayanaut are greatly admired. In fact, a lot of playwrights wait for
Pahela Boishakh to release their latest works.
Pahela Falgoon
Another traditional day (though not a
national holiday) is Pawhela
Falgoon, the first day of spring, which is observed across the
country through traditional festivities and colourful programmes. Spring
fairs, cultural programmes and exchanges of greetings and gifts among
friends and beloved ones mark the day.
People from all walks of life
tthrong the venues of different programmes wearing colorful dresses
including traditional 'spring sarees' and 'Panjabi'. Other programmes of
the day include exchange of flowers, gifts and 'Rakhi-Bandhan', and
poetry recitations.
Religious Festivals and Holidays
Muslim Holidays
Bangladesh is a predominantly Muslim country with about 85% of its people professing Islam as their faith. The Muslims of Bangladesh celebrate their Islamic holidays with much enthusiasm. Some of the important days are:
Eid-ul-Fitr
This
marks the
celebration at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Bangladeshis
mark this day by first taking part in a morning prayer with other
Muslims. Eid-ul-Azha: Festival of sacrifice. The day
marks the supreme devotion of Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) by his willingness
to sacrifice his son. Those who can afford to sacrifice cattle in the
name of God, and the meat is then shared with friends, family, and the
poor. This is also the culmination of the Hajj or holy pilgrimage.
Other significant days include Shab-e-Barat, Jamaat-ul-Wida,
Shab-e-Qudr, and Muharram (Ashura).
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-e-Miladunnabi
Eid-e-Miladunnabi is the
birth
and death day of Prophet Muhammad (s). He was born and died the same day
on 12th Rabiul
Awal (Lunar Month). The day is national holiday, national flag is flown
atop
public and private houses and special food is served in orphanages,
hospitals
and jails. At night important public buildings are illuminated and
milad
mahfils are held.
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.
Muharram
Muharram
procession is a ceremonial mournful procession of Muslim
community. A large procession is brought out from the Hussaini Dalan
Imambara on
10th Muharram in memory of the tragic martyrdom of Imam Hussain (RA) on
this day
at Karbala in Iraq. Same observations are made elsewhere in the
country.
Hindu Holidays
Janmastami
Celebration of the birth
of Rama.The birthday of Hinduism's favorite deity - Lord
Krishna is a special occasion for Hindus. The great exponent of the Bhagavad
Gita, Krishna is the ninth and the most powerful incarnation
of Vishnu, the Godhead of the Hindu Trinity of deities. Krishna took
birth at midnight on the ashtami or the 8th day
of the Krishnapaksha or dark fortnight in the Hindu month of Shravan
(August-September). This auspicious day is called Janmashtami,
which falls on Thusday-Friday, August 9-10, 2012. Song, dance and
merriment mark the celebration of this festive occasion all over India.
Read about the story
of Krishna's birth, and how to observe his birthday.
Durgapuja
The 10
day festival associated with vanquishing demons, in
particular Rama's victory over Ravana in the Ramayana, and Durga's
victory over the buffalo-headed Mahishasura. People wash their vehicles
clean on this day and decorate it with flowers and leaves of mango tree.
Sweets are made. The young people distribute leaves of a particular
tree which are of symbolic gold. One can watch the Ram Lila which is a
dramatic performance of the life of Rama.
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.
Saraswati Puja
Saraswati Puja, one of the main
religious
festivals of the Hindu community, the ritual worship of the Goddess
Saraswati, celebrate it every year, with the believers seeking blessings
of Saraswati, considered as the goddess of knowledge. Hindus all over
the world as well as in Bangladesh celebrate this religious festival
with great enthusiasm and Hindu temples and households are full of
activity on this particular day. Saraswati
Puja
is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the bright fortnight of
the month of Magha. The day is called 'Shukla Panchami'. It is believed
that on this day, Goddess Saraswati was born.
Saraswati is the consort of Lord Brahma and is
the Goddess of Wisdom and Knowledge. She is the personification of
knowledge - arts, science and crafts. She represents Shakti, creativity
and inspiration and presents herself when the weather is pleasant and
nature is in its full grandeur. It is a season of inspiration and
passion. The day had
another significance, as Hindu children are taught
reading and writing their first words on this very special and
auspicious day. Saraswati
embodies wisdom, fortune, intelligence, nourishments, brilliance,
contentment, splendour, and devotion. This will surely work for
building a secular world and hold the unity by enlightening the soul
through the light of knowledge.
Buddhist Holidays
Buddho Purnima
Buddhists
commemorate the birth and enlightenment of Buddha. This occurs on the
first full-moon of the Bengali month of Baishakh.Buddhists celebrate the
day with family, friends and relatives
exchanging greetings and solidarity. After taking a bath, wearing pure
clothes the disciples visit the monasteries and say their prayers. They
also offer fruits, flowers, incense and candles to statues of Lord
Buddha throughout the day. (These symbolic offerings represent the fact
that just like these candle burn out, our lives will also end some day.)
Followers of Buddha, if not already vegetarian, avoid eating meat and
fish on the day of Buddha Purnima. To mark the day, the dailies bring
out special articles while the
television channels air special programmes highlighting the importance
of the festival.A good number of periodicals of the community like
Amitabh, Sombodhi, Krishti and Arya bring out special supplements on the
occasion.
Christian Holidays
Christmas
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.
Cultural
Rabindra & Nazrul Jayanti
The birth anniversary, known as
jayanti, of the noble
laureate Poet Rabindranath
Tagore on 25th Baishakh, falls in May; and that of the
National Poet Kazi Nazrul
Islam on 11th Jaystha, also falls in May, are observed
throughout Bangladesh. Big
gatherings and song and dance sessions organized by
different socio-cultural organizations
are salient features of the observance of these days. Tagore
is the writer of our
national anthem while National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam is
famous as Rebel Poet.
The celebration was a
wonderful attempt of bringing together a group of people who love and
appreciate the works of Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam. A
special thanks is in order to all the ladies (some with children) in
the chorus group, the artist who helped with the wonderful banner for
the celebration, and all those hidden talents who decided to step up
and participate and finally the organizers. They spent a good four
weeks in preparation of the event and all their hard work paid off as a
large number of the community turned up to appreciate and remember
Rabindra-Nazrul. Nobel Laureate Rabindranath
Tagore and Bidrohi Kobi Kazi Nazrul Islam will always be remembered.
This tribute to The Poets is hopefully just one of many more to come.
Till then let us enjoy the songs, poems and stories of our favorite
artists and embrace them in our daily lives.
Baisabi Festival
Baisabi is the main social festival of the indigenous people
living in the hill
districts of Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari of
Bangladesh. This festival
is celebrated by the Chakma and Tanchyanga tribes as "Biju",
by Marma tribe as ‘Shangra’,
and by Tripuras tribe as ‘Baisuk’ or ‘Baisu’. Thus the
festival has got its name,
‘Baisabi’. The festival is celebrated by the by the Chakma
and Tanchyanga for three
consecutive days – the last two days of the month of Chaitra
and the first day of
the month of Baisakh. They never kill any living creature
during these three days.
The last day of Chaitra is celebrated as the main festival
day. On this special
day a mixed curry called Pachan is cooked with five types of
vegetables. In the
afternoon of the day, the teenagers play tag-of-war and
traditional games. The Marma
celebrate Shangrai for four days. They carry the image of
Lord Buddha to the nearby
river front and set down the image on a floating bed.
Afterwards, they complete
the bathing of the image in milk or sandalwood water and
return with it to set it
in the Temple or at homes. In every Marma locality, the
water throwing starts with
people throwing water at each other so that the previous
year's sorrow will be washed
away. The Baisuk festival of the Tripura tribe is celebrated
by worshipping the
god Shiva and asking for his blessings.
Arts and Culture
Bangladesh's deep rooted heritage is
amply reflected in her
architecture, literature, dance, drama, music and painting. Bangladeshi
culture is influenced by three great religions- Hinduism, 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.
___Art
___Architecture
___Dance
___Drama
___Festivals
___Literature
___Movies
___Music
___Architecture
___Dance
___Drama
___Festivals
___Literature
___Movies
___Music
Festival And Culture
Bangladesh
is a land of festivity. Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr,
Eid-ul-Azha, Eid-e-Miladunnabi, Muharram etc. Hindus observe Durga
Puja, Kali Puja, and Sarashwati Puja among others. Buddha Purnima is
the biggest festival for Bangali Buddhists, and Borodin (Christmas) is
celebrated by the Christians. People from several tribal communities
also have their respective festival as well. Apart from these
religious and tribal celebrations we also have several
secular festivals. Pohela Boishakh (Bangla New Year) is the biggest
among all the festivals in Bangladesh. This day People get into their
best attires, go out with friends or family, business men open their
new book of records and send sweets & fruits to their regular
clients, cultural organizations organize cultural programmes, students
bring morning processions called Probhat Ferry. Nobanno (New Rice) is
another of our festivals, which is strongly based in the rural
Bangladesh. When the farmers get new rice, they observe this day with
Rice flour and sugar mixed in water and Puffed rice.
We also observe 21st February as Shahid Dibash (as observed worldwide as International Mother Language Day), 26th March as Independence Day, and 16th December as Victory Day. Rice is our staple food. In general we eat steam boiled rice with vegetables and fish or meat. We cook Polau rice, Biriani or fried rice in celebrating special occasions. Puffed and popped rice are common especially in villages, where a guest is entertained with puffed rice and a piece of Gurh (a replacement of sugar made by boiling date palm sap). Women usually wear Sari, but younger ladies wear Salwar Kamij. Jewelry of gold and silver is very popular among ladies of all ages. Ladies keep long hair. A special twisted bun, called Beni, is popular a hair style among young girls, while ladies prefer Khopa (kind of tying the hair mass at the back of head) in general. Males casually wear Lungi or Pajamas with or without under shirt, Panjabi or Fatua. In formal occasions or in offices men wear western shirt and pants. In general, people love to wear colourful dresses. People in Bangladesh are still family oriented. We either live together as an extended family or frequently visit our parents and relatives in vacations and weekends. Respecting elders is a norm here. In every major occasion of our lives we have our parents and relatives playing a major role. Arranged marriage is still a common sight, even when people chose their partner they proceed through their respective families to arrange the wedding.
Music
Traditional music in Bangladesh shares the perspectives of that of the Indian sub-continent. Music in Bangladesh can be divided into three distinct categories -classical, folk and modern. Ustad Alauddin Khan and Ustad Ayet Ali Khan are two names in classical instrumental music who are internationally recognized.
The store of folk song abounds in spiritual lyrics of Lalan Shah, Hasan Raja, Romesh Shill and many anonymous lyricists. Bangla music arena is enriched with Jari, Shari, Bhatiali, Murshidi and other types of folk songs. Rabindra Sangeet and Nazrul Sangeet are our precious heritage. Modern music is also practiced widely. Contemporary patterns have more inclinations to west. Pop song and band groups are also coming up mainly in big cities. Bangladesh has a good number of musical instruments of her own. Original musical instruments include Banshi (bamboo flute), Dhole (wooden drums), Ektara (a single stringed instrument), Dotara (a two stringed instrument), Mandira (a pair of metal bawls used as rhythm instrument), Khanjani, Sharinda etc. Now-a-days western instruments such as Guitar, Drums, Saxophone, and Synthesizer etc. are being used alongside country instruments.
We also observe 21st February as Shahid Dibash (as observed worldwide as International Mother Language Day), 26th March as Independence Day, and 16th December as Victory Day. Rice is our staple food. In general we eat steam boiled rice with vegetables and fish or meat. We cook Polau rice, Biriani or fried rice in celebrating special occasions. Puffed and popped rice are common especially in villages, where a guest is entertained with puffed rice and a piece of Gurh (a replacement of sugar made by boiling date palm sap). Women usually wear Sari, but younger ladies wear Salwar Kamij. Jewelry of gold and silver is very popular among ladies of all ages. Ladies keep long hair. A special twisted bun, called Beni, is popular a hair style among young girls, while ladies prefer Khopa (kind of tying the hair mass at the back of head) in general. Males casually wear Lungi or Pajamas with or without under shirt, Panjabi or Fatua. In formal occasions or in offices men wear western shirt and pants. In general, people love to wear colourful dresses. People in Bangladesh are still family oriented. We either live together as an extended family or frequently visit our parents and relatives in vacations and weekends. Respecting elders is a norm here. In every major occasion of our lives we have our parents and relatives playing a major role. Arranged marriage is still a common sight, even when people chose their partner they proceed through their respective families to arrange the wedding.
Music
Traditional music in Bangladesh shares the perspectives of that of the Indian sub-continent. Music in Bangladesh can be divided into three distinct categories -classical, folk and modern. Ustad Alauddin Khan and Ustad Ayet Ali Khan are two names in classical instrumental music who are internationally recognized.
The store of folk song abounds in spiritual lyrics of Lalan Shah, Hasan Raja, Romesh Shill and many anonymous lyricists. Bangla music arena is enriched with Jari, Shari, Bhatiali, Murshidi and other types of folk songs. Rabindra Sangeet and Nazrul Sangeet are our precious heritage. Modern music is also practiced widely. Contemporary patterns have more inclinations to west. Pop song and band groups are also coming up mainly in big cities. Bangladesh has a good number of musical instruments of her own. Original musical instruments include Banshi (bamboo flute), Dhole (wooden drums), Ektara (a single stringed instrument), Dotara (a two stringed instrument), Mandira (a pair of metal bawls used as rhythm instrument), Khanjani, Sharinda etc. Now-a-days western instruments such as Guitar, Drums, Saxophone, and Synthesizer etc. are being used alongside country instruments.
Painting
Bangladesh has a rich tradition of modern painting which was pioneered by Zainul Abedin, Kamrul Hassan, Anwarul Haque, Shafiuddin Ahmed and S.M. Sultan. Zainul Abedin earned international fame for his sketches on famine of 1943 in Bangladesh. Other famous artists of Bangladesh are Abdur Razzak, Qayum Chowdhury, Murtaza Bashir, Aminul Islam, Debdas Chakraborti, Kazi Abdul Baset, Syed Jahangir, and Mohammad Kibria.
Dance
Classical forms of the sub-continent predominate in Bangladeshi dance. The folk, tribal and Middle Eastern traits are also common. Among the tribal dances, particularly popular are Monipuri and Santal. Rural girls are in the habit of dancing that does not require any grammar or regulations. Bangla songs like jari and shari are presented accompanied with dance of both male and female performers.
Jatra
Jatra (Folk Drama) is another vital chapter of Bangalee culture. It depicts mythological episodes of love and tragedy. Legendary plays of heroism are also popular, particularly in the rural areas. In near past jatra was the biggest entertainment means for the rural Bangalees. Gradually western culture is occupying the place of traditional culture like jatra.
Bangladesh has a rich tradition of modern painting which was pioneered by Zainul Abedin, Kamrul Hassan, Anwarul Haque, Shafiuddin Ahmed and S.M. Sultan. Zainul Abedin earned international fame for his sketches on famine of 1943 in Bangladesh. Other famous artists of Bangladesh are Abdur Razzak, Qayum Chowdhury, Murtaza Bashir, Aminul Islam, Debdas Chakraborti, Kazi Abdul Baset, Syed Jahangir, and Mohammad Kibria.
Dance
Classical forms of the sub-continent predominate in Bangladeshi dance. The folk, tribal and Middle Eastern traits are also common. Among the tribal dances, particularly popular are Monipuri and Santal. Rural girls are in the habit of dancing that does not require any grammar or regulations. Bangla songs like jari and shari are presented accompanied with dance of both male and female performers.
Jatra
Jatra (Folk Drama) is another vital chapter of Bangalee culture. It depicts mythological episodes of love and tragedy. Legendary plays of heroism are also popular, particularly in the rural areas. In near past jatra was the biggest entertainment means for the rural Bangalees. Gradually western culture is occupying the place of traditional culture like jatra.
National
Festivals
___Pahela Baishakh___Independence Day
___21st Feb
___Eid-e-Miladunnabi
___Eid-ul-Fit
___Eid-ul-Azha
___Muharram
___Durga Puja
___Christmas
___Rabindra & Nazrul Jayanti
___Language
___The Origin of Bangla Alphabet
___The Oldest Records___International Mother Language Day
__Photo of Festivals
& Culture__
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16 December Wallpaper collection here. check now.
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