Bangladesh – Culture, Customs, Language and Etiquette

Bangladesh – Culture, Customs, Language and Etiquette

Facts and Statistics
Capital: Dhaka
Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India
Climate: tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)
Population: 144,319,628 (July 2005 est.)
Ethnic Make-up: Bengali 98%, tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims
Religions: Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1%
Bangladesh has a history. The land, the rivers and the lives of the common people formed a rich heritage with marked differences from neighbouring regions. It has evolved over the centuries and encompasses the cultural diversity of several social groups of Bangladesh.
The culture of Bangladesh is composite and over centuries has assimilated influences of Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity. It is manifested in various forms, including music, dance and drama; art and craft; folklore and folktales; languages and literature, philosophy and religion, festivals and celebrations, as also in a distinct cuisine and culinary tradition.

Languages in Bangladesh
The official language is Bangla, 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. Many people in Bangladesh also speak English and Urdu.
Bangla vocabulary shows many influences. These include a strong Islamic influence seen in the greetings of "Salaam aleykum" (Peace be unto you) and "Khoda hafez" (God Bless you) and nouns from the Arab world such as "dokan" (shop), "tarikh"(date), "kolom"(pen) and "bonduk" (gun). In West Bengal the Hindu influence is greater with the use of the Hindu greeting "Namashkar".
English has also had an influence on Bangla. During the days of the Raj many words of English origin such as "tebil" (table), "tiffin" (archaic in modern day English meaning snack box) entered Bangla. In more recent time the ever rising global nature of English has lead to words such as "television", "telephone", "video" and "radio" being adopted by Bangla. However, unlike India, there has never been the need for English as a lingua franca and thus Bangla is the state language of Bangladesh.
Bangladeshi Culture & Society
Hierarchy
. 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.
Religion
. The majority of Bangladeshis are Muslim. However, most still very much mix this with pre-Islam folk traditions.
. Bangladeshis identify with the folk traditions of Bengali culture. This includes belief in shamanism and the powers of fakirs (Muslim holy men who are exorcists and faith healers), ojhaa (shamins with magical healing powers), and Bauls (religious mendicants and wandering musicians).
. There is a strong tradition of music, dance, and literature that includes classical devotions of Hindu and Muslim music.
Festivals
. Islam defines many of the festivals in Bangaldesh. These include two Eids (one after Ramadan and one after the Hajj) Shab-e-Qadr (the night of power), Milad un-Nabi (birth date of the Prophet Muhammad) and Shab-e-Barat (the night of the fortune).
. Hindu influences festivals include Durga Puja and Kali Puja (community worshipping of Goddess Durga and Kali).
. On the whole an entire community participates in each other's religious ceremonies.
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 to which the response is wa alaikum salam.
. 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.
. 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.
Some 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 behaviour 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 behaviour 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.
Eid ul-Fitr
As the most important religious festival for the majority Muslims, the celebration of Eid ul-Fitr has become a part of the culture of Bangladesh. The government of Bangladesh declares holiday for three days on Eid-ul Fitar. People living in towns having their families or parents in villages go to their country homes to meet relatives and celebrate the festival together. 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.


Adult Muslim males in Bangladesh assemble at the Eid Ghah for prayer in the morning of the Eid day
On Eid day, Eid prayers are held all over the country, in open areas like fields or else inside mosques. In Dhaka, the largest Eid prayer is held at the national Eidgah. All major mosques including the Baitul Mukarram also holds prayers. The biggest congregation of Bangladesh is held at Sholakia in Kishoreganj, where about half a million people join the Eid prayer.[1] After the Eid prayers, people return home, visit each other's home and eat sweet dishes called Shirni. Throughout the day gentlemen embrace each other. It is also customary for junior members of the society to touch the feet of the seniors, and seniors returning blessings (sometimes with a small sum of money as a gift).
In the rural areas Eid festival is observed with great fanfare. In some areas Eid fares are arranged. Different types of games including boat race, kabbadi, other traditional Bangladeshi games as well as modern games like football and cricket are played on this occasion.
In urban areas people play music, visit each other's houses and eat special food. Watching movies and television programs has also become an integral part of Eid celebration in urban areas. All local TV channels air special program for several days for this occasion.
Eid ul-Adha
The celebration of Eid ul-Adha is similar to Eid ul-Fitar in many ways. The only big difference is the Qurbani or sacrifice of domestic animals on Eid ul-Adha. Numerous temporary marketplaces of different sizes called Haat operate in the big cities for sale of Qurbani animals (usually cows and goats).
In the morning on the Eid day, immediately after the prayer, those who can afford to slaughter their animal of choice. Less affluent people also take part in the festivity by visiting houses of the affluent who are taking part in qurbani. After the qurbani a large portion of the meat is given to the poor people.
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/homes in the villages to share the joy of the festival with friends and relatives.
Pohela Boishakh
Pôhela Boishakh is the first day of the Bangla Calendar. It is usually celebrated on the 14th of April. Pohela Boishakh marks the start day of the crop season. Usually on Pôhela Boishakh, the home is thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned; people bathe early in the morning and dress in fine clothes. They spend much of the day visiting relatives, friends, and neighbours and going to fair. Fairs are arranged in many parts of the country where various agricultural products, traditional handicrafts, toys, cosmetics, as well as various kinds of food and sweets are sold. The fairs also provide entertainment, with singers, dancers and traditional plays and songs. Horse races, bull races, bullfights, cockfights, flying pigeons, boat racing were once popular. All gatherings and fairs consist a wide spread of Bengali food and sweets.
The most colourful New Year's Day festival takes place in Dhaka. Large numbers of people gather early in the morning under the banyan tree at Ramna Park where Chhayanat artists open the day with Rabindranath Tagore's famous song, Esho, he Boishakh, Esho Esho (Come, Year, Come, Come). A similar ceremony welcoming the new year is also held at the Institute of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka. Students and teachers of the institute take out a colourful procession and parade round the campus. Social and cultural organisations celebrate the day with cultural programmes. Newspapers bring out special supplements. There are also special programmes on radio and television.Prior to this day, special discounts on clothes, furniture, electronics and various deals and shopping discounts are available. Special line of sarees, usually cottons, white sarees with red print/embroidery is sold before this day as everyone dresses up for this day. jasmine flowers are also a huge sale for this event which adorns the women's hair.
Language Movement Day
Language Movement Day is a unique part of the culture of Bangladesh. Every year on February 21 this day is observed to pay tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives to establish Bengali as the official language of then East Pakistan in 1952. The mood of the day is sad and humble.
The celebration of Language Movement Day goes on the entire month of February. Ekushey Book Fair is a book fair arranged to mark this occasion every year. The fair has also become an integral part of the culture of Bangladesh. Authors and readers in Bangladesh eagerly await the fair each year.
To commemorate this movement, Shaheed Minar, a solemn and symbolic sculpture, was erected in the place of the massacre. Today the Shaheed Minar is the centre of cultural activities in Dhaka. On the morning of February 21 each year, people from all walks of life including the national leaders pay tribute to the martyrs by leaving flowers at Shaheed Minar. A very melodious and melancholy song, Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano, written by Abdul Gaffar Choudhury and composed by Altaf Mahmud, is played repeatedly in electronic media and cultural gatherings throughout the month, and especially on February 21. This song, too, has become a symbolic mark of culture of Bangladesh.
Religion in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is ethnically homogeneous, with Bengalis comprising 98% of the population. The majority of Bangladeshis (about 90%) are Muslims, and a small number of Hindus, Christians and Buddhists are also in the country.
People of different religions perform their religious rituals with festivity in Bangladesh. The Government has declared National Holidays on all important religious festivals of the four major religion. Durga Puja, Christmas and Buddha Purnima are celebrated with enthusiasm in Bangladesh. All of these form an integral part of the cultural heritage of Bangladesh.