Culture of Bangladesh

Music, dance, drama

The music dance styles of Bangladesh may be divided into three categories: classical, folk, modern.

After gaining independence from British rule, East Bengal (Bangladesh) was still a colony of Pakistan. It was called East Pakistan.

The classical style has been influenced by other prevalent classical forms of music dances of the Indian subcontinent, accordingly, show some influenced dance forms like Bharatnatyam Kathak.

Several dancing styles in vogue are practised in the northeastern part of the Indian subcontinent, like Manipuri Santhali dances, but Bangladesh has developed its own distinct dancing styles. Bangladesh has a rich tradition of

In a relatively modern context, works of Rabindranath Tagore and Nazrul Islam form a major part of the cultural heritage of Bangladesh. Several musical instruments, some of them indigenous, are used in Bangladesh. Major musical instruments used are the bamboo flute (Bashi), drums (tabla, dhol), a single-stringed instrument named ektara, a four-stringed instrument called dotara, a pair of metal bowls, used for rhythm effects, called mandira. Currently, musical instruments of western origin, like guitars, drums, and the saxophone are used, sometimes along with traditional instruments (Muajj). From the 90's, It gave rise to quality rock bands, not only the urban place from Dhaka but also the port city Chittagong.

Media and cinema

As the most important religious festival for the majority of Muslims, the celebration of Eid ul-Fitr has become a part of the culture of Bangladesh. The government of Bangladesh declares the holiday for three days on Eid-ul Fitr. But practically, all schools, colleges, and offices remain closed for a week. This is the happiest time of the year for most of the people in Bangladesh. All outgoing public transport from the major cities become highly crowded and in many cases the fares tend to rise in spite of government restrictions. Bengali Newspapers regularly publish special issues called "Eid Shongkhha" (

Eid ul-Azha

Eid ul-Azha or Bakri Eid is the second most important religious festival. The celebration of this festival is similar to Eid ul-Fitr in many ways. The only big difference is the Kurbani or sacrifice of domestic animals. Numerous temporary marketplaces of different sizes called hat operate in the big cities for sale of Qurbani animals (usually cows, goats, and sheep). In the morning on the Eid day, immediately after the prayer, affluent people thank God for the animal and then sacrifice it. Less affluent people also take part in the festivity by visiting houses of the affluent who are taking part in kurbani. After the kurbani, a large portion of the meat is given to the poor people and to the relatives and neighbors. Although the religious doctrine allows the sacrifice anytime over a period of three days starting from the Eid day, most people prefer to perform the ritual on the first day of Eid. However, the public holiday spans over three to four days. Many people from the big cities go to their ancestral houses and homes in the villages to share the joy of the festival with friends and relatives. Various agricultural products, traditional handicrafts, toys, cosmetics, as well as various kinds of food and sweets are sold in front of mosques and other public places.

Pohela Boishakh

In 1952, the emerging middle classes of East Bengal underwent an uprising known later as the Bangla Language Movement. Bangladeshis (then East Pakistanis) were initially agitated by a decision by the Central Pakistan Government to establish Urdu, a minority language spoken only by the supposed elite class of West Pakistan, as the sole national language for all of Pakistan. The situation was worsened by an open declaration that "Urdu and only Urdu will be the national language of Pakistan" by the governor, Khawaja Nazimuddin. Police declared Section 144 which banned any sort of meeting. Defying this, the students of the University of Dhaka and Dhaka Medical College and other political activists started a procession on 21 February 1952. Near the current Dhaka Medical College Hospital, police fired on the protesters and numerous people, including Abdus Salam, Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, Sofiur Rahman, Abul Barkat, and Abdul Jabbar died. The movement spread to the whole of East Pakistan and the whole province came to a standstill. Afterward, the Government of Pakistan relented and gave Bengali equal status as a national language. This movement is thought to have sown the seeds for the independence movement which resulted in the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971. To commemorate this movement, Shaheed Minar, a solemn and symbolic sculpture, was erected in the place of the massacre. The day is revered in Bangladesh and, to a somewhat lesser extent, in West Bengal as the Martyrs' Day. This day is the public holiday in Bangladesh. UNESCO decided to observe 21 February as International Mother Language Day. The UNESCO General Conference took a decision that took effect on 17 November 1999 when it unanimously adopted a draft resolution submitted by Bangladesh and co-sponsored and supported by 28 other countries.

Durga Puja (Navaratri)

Durga Puja, the largest religious festival for Hindus, is celebrated widely across Bangladesh. Thousands of pandals (mandaps) are set up in various villages, towns, and cities. Durga Puja is a grand cultural celebration in the capital city of Dhaka. Major pujas of Dhaka are held in numerous pandals, but the biggest celebration takes place at Dhakeshwari Temple where several thousand devotees and onlookers stream through the premises for four days. Special boat race on Buriganga river is arranged and it attracts a large crowd. A five-day holiday is observed by all educational institutions, while Bijoya Dashami is a public holiday. Just like

Christians in Bangladesh give gifts to each other and visit others on Christmas. Christmas is national holiday in Bangladesh. Kids receive money or toys from adults. People greet each other with Shubho Boro Din ('Greetings of the Great Day'). In rural areas, banana trees and leaves are used for decoration. In cities, common Christmas decorations include Christmas trees, banners and balloons. Special events are held in hotels and Christmas specials are shown on TV. Traditional foods include

Bengali weddings are traditionally in five parts: first, it is the bride and groom's Mehendi Shondha (also called Pan Chini), the bride's Gaye Holud, the groom's Gaye Holud, the Biye, and the Bou Bhaat. These often take place on separate days. The first event in a wedding is an informal one: the groom presents the bride with a ring marking the "engagement" which is gaining popularity. For the mehendi shondha the bride's side apply henna to each other as well as the bride, for the bride's

Bangladesh has appealing architecture from historic treasures to contemporary landmarks. It has evolved over centuries and assimilated influences from social, religious and exotic communities. Bangladesh has many architectural relics and monuments dating back thousands of years.

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  1752 Kantajew Temple, prominent Hindu architecture of Bangladesh.
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  Lalbagh Fort, a Mughal architecture of Bangladesh
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  Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture

  of Bangladesh
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  Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban

  , the house of the Parliament of Bangladesh.
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  Lalbagh Fort

World Heritage Sites

Site	Image	Location	Criteria	Year
Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat[6]		Bagerhat District, Khulna Division 22°40′0″N 89°48′0″E / 22.66667°N 89.80000°E / 22.66667; 89.80000 (Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat)	Cultural: (iv)	1983
Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur[7]		Naogaon District, Rajshahi Division 25°2′0″N 88°59′0″E / 25.03333°N 88.98333°E / 25.03333; 88.98333 (Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur)	Cultural: (i, ii, vi)	1985
The Sundarbans[8]		Khulna Division 21°57′0″N 89°11′0″E / 21.95000°N 89.18333°E / 21.95000; 89.18333 (The Sundarbans)	Natural: (ix, x)	1997

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists

Memory of the World Register

• 7 March Speech of Bangabandhu

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