The culture of Bangladesh

The culture of Bangladesh (Bengali: Bnldhr Sanskrti) refers to the way of life of the people of Bangladesh. The land, the rivers, and the lives of the Bengali people formed a rich heritage with marked differences from neighboring regions. It has evolved over the centuries and encompasses the cultural diversity of several social groups of Bangladesh. The Bengal Renaissance of the 19th and early 20th centuries, noted Bengali writers, saints, authors, scientists, researchers, thinkers, music composers, painters, and film-makers have played a significant role in the development of Bengali culture. The Bengal Renaissance contained the seeds of a nascent political Indian nationalism and was the precursor in many ways to modern Indian artistic and cultural expression. The culture of Bangladesh is composite and over the 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 folktale; languages and literature; philosophy and religion; festivals and celebrations; as well as in a distinct cuisine and culinary tradition. (wiki) 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

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. (global)

Communication Styles
1 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.

2 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.

3 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. 4 However, when speaking with a woman the space is often increased. (global)

Economic summary:
GDP/PPP (2011 est.): $282.5 billion; per capita $1,700. Real growth rate: 6.3%. Inflation: 10.7%. Unemployment: 5% (includes underemployment). Arable land: 55.39%. Agriculture: rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry. Labor force: 75.42 million; note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia; agriculture 63%, industry 11%, services 26% (FY95/96). Industries: cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper newsprint, cement, chemical fertilizer, light engineering, sugar. Natural resources: natural gas, arable land, timber, coal. Exports: $23.86 billion (2011 est.): garments, jute and jute goods, leather, frozen fish and seafood (2001). Imports: $31.75 billion (2011 est.): machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs, petroleum products, cement (2000). Major trading partners: U.S., Germany, UK, France, Italy, India, China, Singapore, Kuwait, Japan, Hong Kong (2004)

Social Stratification
Classes and Castes. The Muslim class system is similar to a caste structure. The ashraf is a small upperclass of old-money descendants of early Muslim officials and merchants whose roots are in Afghanistan, Turkey, and Iran. Some ashraf families trace their lineage to the Prophet Mohammed. The rest of the population is conceived of as the indigenous majority atraf. This distinction mirrors the Hindu separation between the Brahman and those in lower castes. While both Muslim and Hindu categories are recognized by educated people, the vast majority of citizens envision class in a more localized, rural context. (culture) Symbols of Social Stratification. One of the most obvious symbols of class status is dress. The traditional garment for men is the lungi, a cloth tube skirt that hangs to the ankles; for women, the sari is the norm. The lungi is worn by most men, except those who consider themselves to have high socioeconomic status, among whom pants and shirt are worn. Also indicative of high standing are loose white cotton pajama pants and a long white shirt. White dress among men symbolizes an occupation that does not require physical labor. A man with high standing will not be seen physically carrying anything; that task is left to an assistant or laborer. Saris also serve as class markers, with elaborate and finely worked cloth symbolizing high status. Poverty is marked by the cheap, rough green or indigo cotton cloth saris of poor women. Gold jewelry indicates a high social standing among women. (culture)

Government.
The People's Republic of Bangladesh is a parliamentary democracy that includes a president, a prime minister, and a unicameral parliament ( Jayitya Shongshod ). Three hundred members of parliament are elected to the 330-seat legislature in local elections held every five years. Thirty seats are reserved for women members of parliament. The prime minister, who is appointed by the president, must have the support of a majority of parliament members. The president is elected by the parliament every five years to that largely ceremonial post. The country is divided into four divisions, twenty districts, subdistricts, union parishads, and villages. In local politics, the most important political level is the union in rural areas; in urban regions, it is the municipality ( pourashava ). Members are elected locally, and campaigning is extremely competitive. (culture)

CONCLUSION
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Bibliography
[Online] / auth. 2004. - January 2014, 21. - http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0107317.html. [Online] / auth. culture. - January 2014, 21. - http://www.everyculture.com/ABo/Bangladesh.html#ixzz2r5rwKk92. [Online] / auth. global. - January 2014, 21. - http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/globaletiquette/bangladesh.html. [Online] / auth. wiki. - january 21, 2014. http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCulture_of_Bangladesh&ei=zIreUq3gH4f3ygPRgoCoDg&us g=AFQjCNHLJxfJ5s-uccW-q00Vqdt8GGQ0rQ.