Culture of Bangladesh

 

Culture of Bangladesh

The culture of Bangladesh is interlaced with the culture of the Bengal locale of the Indian subcontinent. It has advanced over the centuries and includes the social differences of a few social bunches of Bangladesh. During the Bengal Renaissance of the 18th and early 19th centuries, famous Bengali journalists, holy people, creators, researchers, analysts, masterminds, music composers, painters, filmmakers played a noteworthy part in the improvement of Bengali culture. The culture of Bangladesh is profoundly entwined with the culture of the Bengal locale. Fundamentally Bengali culture alludes to the culture of Bangladesh. The Bengal Renaissance contained the seeds of an incipient political Indian patriotism which was the forerunner in numerous ways to cutting-edge Indian aesthetic social expression.

According to M. Nazrul Islam Tamij, a human rights extremist and chairman of the National Human Rights Society (NHRS), human rights are the foremost imperative portion of Bengali culture, and it plays an imperative part in the advancement of Bengali culture.

The societies of Bangladesh composite over the centuries have acclimatized impacts of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity. It is shown in different shapes, counting music, moves, dramatization; craftsmanship create; fables folktales; dialects writing; logic religion; celebrations celebrations; as well as in an unmistakable cooking and culinary convention.

Music, drama,  dance,

The music and dance styles of Bangladesh can be categorized into three groups: classical, folk, and modern. Following independence from British rule, East Bengal (now Bangladesh) became a part of Pakistan, known as East Pakistan. The classical style of music has been influenced by classical forms from the Indian subcontinent, such as Bharatnatyam and Kathak. While various dance styles like Manipuri and Santhali are practiced in the northeastern part of the Indian subcontinent, Bangladesh has developed its own unique dancing styles. The country boasts a rich tradition of folk songs with themes rooted in spirituality, mysticism, and love. Popular folk song traditions in Bangladesh include Bhatiali, Baul, Marfati, Murshidi, and Bhawaiya. Notable lyricists like Lalon Shah, Hason Raja, Kangal Harinath, Romesh Shill, and Abbas Uddin, along with many anonymous lyricists, have contributed to the folk song tradition of Bangladesh. In a more contemporary context, the works of Rabindranath Tagore and Nazrul Islam are significant parts of Bangladesh's cultural heritage. Various musical instruments, including indigenous ones, are utilized in Bangladesh, such as the bamboo flute (Bashi), drums (tabla, dhol), the single-stringed ektara, the four-stringed dotara, and metal bowls known as Mandira. Additionally, western musical instruments like guitars, drums, and saxophones are incorporated, sometimes alongside traditional instruments. Since the 1990s, quality rock bands have emerged not only in urban areas like Dhaka but also in the port city of Chittagong.

cinema  and Media 

The press in Bangladesh is diverse, outspoken, and privately owned, with over 200 newspapers published in the country. The state-run radio service is Bangladesh Betar. The British Broadcasting Corporation operates the popular BBC Bangla news and current affairs service, while Bengali broadcasts from Voice of America are also highly favored. Bangladesh Television (BTV) is a state-owned television network, alongside more than 20 privately owned television networks, including various news channels. Freedom of the media is a significant concern due to government censorship attempts and harassment of journalists. The history of cinema in Bangladesh dates back to 1898 when films were first screened at the Crown Theatre in Dhaka. The first bioscope in the subcontinent was established in Dhaka the same year. The Dhaka Nawab Family supported the production of silent films in the 1920s and 30s. In 1931, the East Bengal Cinematograph Society released the first full-length feature film in Bangladesh, titled "The Last Kiss." The first feature film in East Pakistan, "Mukh O Mukhosh," was released in 1956. During the 1960s, Dhaka produced 25-30 films annually, increasing to 80-100 films per year by the 2000s. While the Bangladeshi film industry has seen limited commercial success, it has produced notable independent filmmakers. Zahir Raihan, a prominent documentary maker, was assassinated in 1971. The late Tareque Masud is considered one of Bangladesh's outstanding directors for his productions on historical and social issues, honored by FIPRESCI at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002 for "The Clay Bird." Other renowned directors of Bangladeshi cinema include Tanvir Mokammel, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, Humayun Ahmed, Alamgir Kabir, Subhash Dutta, and Chashi Nazrul Islam.

 Celebrations  and  Festivals

Festivals and celebrations play a vital role in Bangladeshi culture. Various cultural events such as Pohela Falgun, Pohela Boishakh, and Boishabi are observed by Bengali and hill tracks tribal communities. Additionally, occasions like Matribhasha kibosh, Victory Day, Nobanno, Pitha Utshob, Poush Songkranti, and chairs Sankranti are celebrated by individuals of all religions. The Muslim community commemorates festivals like Eid ul-Fitr, Eid ul-Adha, Milad un Nabi, Muharram, Chand Raat, Shab-e-Barat, and Bishwa Ijtema. Hindus mark occasions such as Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Basant Panchami, Rath Yatra, Holi, and Janmashtami. Moreover, Buddhists celebrate Buddha Purnima and Maghi Purnima, while Christians observe Christmas and Easter. Secular events such as Pohela Boishakh, Pohela Falgun, Shakrain, Borsha Mongol, Nabanna, Language Movement Day, Independence Day, Rabindra Jayanti, and Nazrul Jayanti are widely celebrated and are typically recognized as national holidays in Bangladesh.

Language day

In 1952, the middle classes of East Bengal rose up in what became known as the Bangla Language Movement. Bangladeshis, who were then East Pakistanis, were upset by the Central Pakistan Government's decision to make Urdu the national language of Pakistan. This decision favored the elite class in West Pakistan, where Urdu was mainly spoken. Tensions heightened when the governor, Khawaja Nazimuddin, declared that only Urdu would be the national language of Pakistan. Police imposed Section 144, prohibiting any gatherings. Nevertheless, students from the University of Dhaka and Dhaka Medical College, along with political activists, marched on 21 February 1952. The protest turned violent near Dhaka Medical College Hospital when police opened fire, resulting in the deaths of several individuals, including Abdus Salam, Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, Sofiur Rahman, Abul Barkat, and Abdul Jabbar. The movement soon spread throughout East Pakistan, bringing the province to a standstill. Subsequently, the Government of Pakistan granted Bengali equal status as a national language. This event is believed to have laid the groundwork for Bangladesh's independence movement, culminating in the country's liberation in 1971. To honor the movement, the Shaheed Minar, a symbolic monument, was erected at the site of the tragedy. The day is commemorated in Bangladesh and, to a lesser extent, in West Bengal, as Martyrs' Day, a public holiday in Bangladesh. In recognition of these events, UNESCO declared 21 February as International Mother Language Day on 17 November 1999, following the unanimous adoption of a resolution proposed by Bangladesh and supported by 28 other countries during the UNESCO General Conference.