CULTURAL DIFFERENCES OF BANGLADESH

|| CULTURAL DIFFERENCES OF BANGLADESH ||

Submitted to:

Dr. H. M. Mosarof Hossain

Professor

Department of Finance

University of Dhaka

Submitted by:
Group no: 05
Section: B

Department of Finance

University of Dhaka

Date of Submission: December 1, 2019

 GROUP PROFILE
Name ID-No Remarks
Faima Akter 21-015

Farjana Jahan 21-057

Md. Ajijur Rahman Shajal 21-135

Md Shajahan 21-131

Atkia Nabiha Rahman 21-215

Letter of Transmittal

1st December, 2019

H.M. Mosarof Hossain

Professor, Department of Finance

University of Dhaka

Subject: Submission of term pare on “Cultural Differences of Bangladesh”

Dear Sir,

This is the term paper on “Cultural Differences of Bangladesh” as per the requirement of course
F-521: International Business. Preparing this term paper has been a stimulating experience for
us. It has enabled us to know about the broad picture of our culture.

We sincerely hope that, any unintended error, exclusion or mistake committed by us while
preparing this report will be considered with sympathy.

Sincerely yours

…………………………

Faima Akter

ID: 21-015, Section-B

Department of Finance, University of Dhaka

On behalf of group 5
 Contents
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................7

Origin of the Paper...........................................................................................................................8

Objective of the study......................................................................................................................8

Scope & Limitation of the Study.....................................................................................................8

Introduction......................................................................................................................................9

Cultural differences.......................................................................................................................10

Differences in Culture................................................................................................................11

Cross cultural literacy................................................................................................................12

Case on cross cultural literacy of Bangladesh...........................................................................12

Cost of doing business in different culture................................................................................12

Case on cost doing business because of the cultural differences of Bangladesh.......................13

Concept of culture..........................................................................................................................14

Values........................................................................................................................................14

Norms, Folk-ways & Mores......................................................................................................14

Society.......................................................................................................................................15

Nation State...............................................................................................................................16

Relationship between these on an MNC or FDI........................................................................17

Case on relationship among the values, norms, society and the nation state of Bangladesh....17

Determinants of cultures in Bangladesh........................................................................................18

1. Political Background and economic philosophies of Bangladesh.............................................18

A case on working under the political background of Bangladesh...........................................19

2. Language of Bangladesh............................................................................................................20

A case on language differences of Bangladesh.........................................................................21

3. Social structure of Bangladesh..................................................................................................21

4. Religious and Ethical Systems of Bangladesh...........................................................................23

Impact of religion on the legal and policy Framework..........................................................25

Impact of religion on education.............................................................................................25

Islam and its economic Implication in Bangladesh...................................................................25

Hinduism and its Economic Implication in Bangladesh............................................................26

Buddhism and its Economic Implication in Bangladesh...........................................................26

Christianity and its Economic Implication in Bangladesh........................................................27

Other religion: Sikhism..............................................................................................................27

Religious Implication on Business of Bangladesh....................................................................27

A case on religious issue of Bangladesh....................................................................................27

5. Education System of Bangladesh..............................................................................................28

6. Culture & the work places of Bangladesh.................................................................................29

Cultural Change.....................................................................................................................30

Cross cultural literacy............................................................................................................30

Culture & Competitive advantage.........................................................................................31

A case on cultural changes of Bangladesh................................................................................31

Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................32
 Executive Summary
Culture is an indispensible part of a nation and it shapes the behavior of that nations. This culture
varies from countries to countries. Again culture of a country differs by person to person of that
country. Cultural differences of a country tell us about the characteristics of those people.
Culture of Bangladesh has very old history. It has evolved over the centuries encompasses the
cultural diversity of several social groups of Bangladesh. This report has covered all the cultural
differences of Bangladesh currently existing in this country.

This report will show the differences of culture among the residents of Bangladesh, relationship
among different cultures, main features of culture existing in Bangladesh etc. Main parts of a
country’s culture is values, norms, political views, its language, determinants of culture, social
stratification based on specific features, religious & ethical system, education and last but not the
least workplace behavior. All these things are covered in this report. All the data are collected
from the website and perceived knowledge about our culture.

We have also developed some cases related with cultural view of Bangladesh. These cases will
give a view how a little difference can lead to a significant change over the nation. We will be
also able have the practical knowledge regarding cultural differences of our country. How culture
differences have affected some trade of Bangladesh can be seen in those cases.

Cultural difference of Bangladesh is an important issue for conducting trade in this country. A
basic level of knowledge is required to conduct business smoothly. This report will give an
overall idea about the culture of Bangladesh, so that business people can take proper decision
before offering any product or services to the people of our country.
Origin of the Paper
This report is mainly prepared as part of our course named F-521, International Business. This
report on “Differences of cultural in Bangladesh” was assigned by the course instructor Dr. H.
M. Mosarof Hossain, Professor of Department of Finance, Faculty of Business Studies,
University of Dhaka.

Objective of the study

The general objective of preparing this report is to fulfill the requirement of Course F-521:
International Business as well as the completion of the MBA Program through gaining the
practical and theoretical knowledge. The broad project objective is to analyze the various aspects
of culture. It aims to enhance and celebrate cultural experiences to enjoy by analyzing it and its
social meaning. It helps us understand ourselves and those around us by exploring a wide range
of institutions, media and concepts. Cultural norms are passed down from generation to
generation by observing parents, teachers, religious leaders, and peers (through the process of
socialization) they regulate behavior in accordance with the group’s beliefs about acceptable and
unacceptable ways of thinking, feeling and behaving. Cultural differences impacts on doing
business in a country with differences in norms and antiques. Also, we can have clear idea about
differences aspect of the cost incurring because of the types of culture.

Scope & Limitation of the Study

The paper talks about the culture of Bangladesh & other social phenomena related to culture of
Bangladesh & culture in different levels of organizations in Bangladesh. The paper also
examines different determinants of Bangladeshi culture & cases related to culture on both
foreign countries doing business within the country & Bangladeshi companies that are doing
business overseas. The scope of the report is limited within secondary sources of data. Since the
paper is mostly focused on the cultural perspectives of the country and within a short time,
primary data collection was not possible due to logistical constraints. Also, the paper does not
provide detailed analysis of country specific data rather the common traits & culture followed by
majority of the people of the country.
Introduction
Culture is the root and the main ingredient of a society. It manifests the knowledge, religion,
social habits, music, arts and every other thing that the society practices and values the most.
Culture of a small area could be different from the culture of a country. There are several factors
that distinguish one culture from another. These are the reason behind cost incurring while doing
business in a different culture than the domestic one. There is also relationship between different
cultures and it also impacts the society and its structure. Different factors contribute differently
in the costing of the business. For Bangladesh the natural climate, people and its practiced values
or morals are very much different than any other Western, Middle Eastern, African, Latin or any
other Asian countries. Companies’ trying to establish its business in any part of the Bangladesh
needs the total overview of the area and the people. Unless the overview and research it will
incur huge loss because of the misinterpreting the culture and its social practices.
Cultural differences
Each living life is attached in culture whether humans or animals. Culture is natural development
during birth process (What we call is behavior, that changes from individual to individual
broadened when lives in family that family is part of a society (group or community), behavior
of the group is culture) and its evolution is based on intelligence reaction to experiences and
needs. Culture is process to live in group. Each society has norms to follow by individuals in
order to retain society strong and intact. Culture influences many aspects of our life, private and
public, from foreign affairs to love affairs. It certainly influences various factors that on various
levels and through separate mechanisms contribute to create a phenomenon known as nation
branding.

The cultural background of Bangladesh is diverse. The original inhabitants of this area were pre-
Aryan. After words, they were influenced by Aryan thoughts. Again, this culture is influenced by
the ingredients of Muslim culture of Turkey, Arab, Iran and Middle-Asia. Lastly, with the arrival
of the Europeans especially the British, A different cultural trend was set. In this way, in course
of time, our culture gradually developed with the essence of different cultures. If we want to be
introduced to our cultural background, we need to take resort to foreigners. Because of the
climatic condition of Bangladesh, it was not possible to preserve the history of cultural life.
Cultural diversity is based on the idea that cultural identities of each component of a given
population should get equal importance to give a diverse and colorful cultural fabric to a nation.”
But the fact also remains that if anyone were to look closely at Bangladesh, they might overlook
the aspect of diversity because of the following statistics. The country has 80% alluvial plain
land lying at an average elevation of less than 10 meters above sea level and therefore the
landscape may seem to lack diversity. Ninety-eight percent of the people speak Bangla, so
linguistically they are very homogeneous as well. The vast majority of the population of at least
89% is Muslims and most of its inhabitants come from an Aryan-Mongoloid-Dravidian mix.
Therefore, the homogeneity of Bangladeshi people is further fortified. But let us now consider all
the little nuances that make for an interesting mosaic of diversity within this apparently
homogeneous land, which serves as a great melting pot of tolerance, understanding and heritage.
Differences in Culture
Cultural differences are the various beliefs, behaviors, languages, practices and expressions
considered unique to members of a specific ethnicity, race or national origin. Some examples of
cultural differences as they pertain to the workplace include employees who are younger or older
than their co-workers, employees who hold higher degrees than others in the workplace and
individuals who grew up in either metropolitan areas or small towns. It is said that employees
often have more similarities than they do differences, but those differences can sometimes
outweigh the similarities. While these various differences can create a more vibrant office, they
can also lead to more than a few problems resulting from culture clash.

Differences between people within any given nation or culture are much greater than differences
between groups. Education, social standing, religion, personality, belief structure, past
experience, affection shown in the home, and a myriad of other factors will affect human
behavior and culture. Sure, there are differences in approach as to what is considered polite and
appropriate behavior both on and off the job. In some cultures, "yes" means, "I hear you" more
than "I agree." Length of pleasantries and greetings before getting down to business; level of
tolerance for being around someone speaking a foreign (not-understood) language; politeness
measured in terms of gallantry or etiquette (e.g., standing up for a woman who approaches a
table, yielding a seat on the bus to an older person, etc.); and manner of expected dress are all
examples of possible cultural differences and traditions.

There are cultural and ideological differences and it is good to have an understanding about a
culture's customs and ways. Aaron Pun, a Canadian ODC net correspondent, wrote: "In studying
cross cultural differences, we are not looking at individuals but a comparison of one ethnic group
against others. Hence, we are comparing two bell curves and generalization cannot be avoided."
Another correspondent explained the human need to categorize. True and true, but the danger
comes when we act on some of these generalizations, especially when they are based on faulty
observation. Acting on generalizations about such matters as eye contact, personal space, touch,
and interest in participation can have serious negative consequences.
Cross cultural literacy
When you do business internationally, you may assume that all businesspeople have the same
basic understandings. Although you will find a common appreciation for making profits and
reducing costs, you may run across business approaches that surprise you. Diverse cultures have
different business values and practices. A little effort at gaining some cultural literacy can help
you deal successfully with people around the globe.

Case on cross cultural literacy of Bangladesh

For example, in, Hong Kong, the handshake is commonly used when greeting westerners.
During the greeting, the Chinese lower their eyes as a sign of respect, and keeping eye contact
for too long must be avoided as this may be seen as a challenge of authority.

The Indians greet according to age, therefore the eldest person in the room must be greeted first.
They also believe in greeting and thanking each individual personally when leaving a room. Men
shake hands with men and women with women, while men and women seldom shake hands with
each other.

The Italians are one of the friendliest nations, but don’t let that fool you when it comes to
business. When doing business with the Italians, greetings are enthusiastic, yet very formal until
you are invited to move to a first name basis, then some air-kissing on both cheeks, starting with
the left may also be permitted.

From the examples above, it is clear to see that one has to be careful when conducting business
with many different cultures; we have to take care not to offend each other, yet still make
everyone feel welcome. With all this interaction between different cultures, we may also be
forming an international business culture which may be accepted in all countries at all times.

Cost of doing business in different culture

Sometimes cultural difference between countries can cause a negative impact when conducting
free market businesses. When the differences in the areas are high, the cost tends to increase for
the foreign direct investment. Cultural differences also create cost while doing business in
different areas of a country or in different countries.
Case on cost doing business because of the cultural differences of Bangladesh
For example Wal-Mart wants to expand its operation in India. It attempted to do so but buying
out local farms and small stores are not that easy a task. As it did it was able to lower prices for
simple vegetables such as tomatoes and potatoes. Thinking that Indians would buy into this
strategy Wal-Mart opened up shop. Indians may be price conscious as much as Americans but to
them loyalty and integrity meant more. As soon as the Indians found out that local jobs for the
average citizen was being cut, they immediately stopped buying from Wal-Mart. Sometimes
moral and ethics and taking care of neighbors is more important than buying things for the
cheapest price. The American culture is embedded with how best to save cost when shopping.
People are always trying to find the best deal. But they do not care about the ethics and morality
of the process. Many cultures; Germany and India included care a lot more about what happens
downstream.

Another example is the Japanese culture. They take very seriously about having their own
corporations run their country. It is very difficult for outsiders to go business there. Japan has a
very large IT distribution sector and the largest IT distribution corporation that generates $40
billion in revenues headquartered in America is not able to set-up shop in that country. Japanese
culture simply believes that it is best if their corporation, their employees and their stock-holders
benefit from doing business within. It is very interesting because Japan does an amazing job at
selling its products and technology outside. As a matter of fact, they have already successfully
started robotics assistance for the elderly.

Along with differences in etiquette, come differences in attitude, particularly towards things like
workplace confrontation, rules and regulations, and assumed working hours. While some may
consider working long hours a sign of commitment and achievement, others may consider these
extra hours a demonstration of a lack of efficiency of time.

If Bangladesh, there are many foreign companies working here. They follow their own cultures
with the goods practices of ours such as time management, recruitment, salary benefits,
environment protection and many more. For example, Lafarge Holcim is a multinational cement
producer. They are working here for long time. They established their plant in Catak, Sylhet.
Their plant is much more environmentally friendly then local manufacturers. They are using ETF
(Effluent treatment plant) for environmental protection as it required in their home country.
Concept of culture
Culture is a process for identity of living creatures and cultural evolution raises the identity of
society, benefit goes to its individuals. Culture differentiates from group to group (as behavior
changes) though major part remains same as human culture to differentiate from other species.
This gives different identity. For, society‘s culture there is one individual behind who broadens
or establishes the cultural status. Culture had evolved by beliefs, faith, practices, customs, way to
live, art, intelligence, language, food habits, and economy etc. Cultural growth gave identity to
the societies that named, Muslim or Christian or Hindu or Jewish or Buddhist etc. have different
cultures. So, when we come across art, customs etc. we identify what is their culture or which
religion they belong.

Values
Values defined in Business as the collective conceptions of what is considered good, desirable,
and proper or bad, undesirable, and improper in a culture. Some common business values are
fairness, innovations and community involvement. According to M. Haralambos, “A value is a
belief that something is good and desirable”. According to R.K. Mukherjee, “Values are socially
approved desires and goals that are internalized through the process of conditioning, learning or
socialization and that become subjective preferences, standards, and aspirations”. A value is a
shared idea about how something is ranked in terms of desirability, worth or goodness.
Sometimes, it has been interpreted to mean “such standards by means of which the ends of action
are selected”. Sometimes, it has been interpreted to mean “such standards by means of which the
ends of action are selected”. Thus, values are collective conceptions of what is considered good,
desirable, and proper or bad, undesirable, and improper in a culture. Familiar examples of values
are wealth, loyalty, independence, equality, justice, fraternity and friendliness. Familiar examples
of values are wealth, loyalty, independence, equality, justice, fraternity and friendliness. These
are generalized ends consciously pursued by or held up to individuals as being worthwhile in
them. It is not easy to clarify the fundamental values of a given society because of their sheer
breadth.

Norms, Folk-ways & Mores

Informal guideline about what is considered normal (what is correct or incorrect) social behavior
in a particular group or social unit. Norms form the basis of collective expectations that members
of a community have from each other, and play a key part in social control and social order by
exerting a pressure on the individual to conform. In short, "The way we do things around here."
Formal rule or standard laid down by legal, religious, or social authority against which
appropriateness (what is right or wrong) of an individual's behavior is judged. Folkways are
recognized ways of behavior in a society which arise automatically within a group to meet the
problems of social living. Social life is full of problems and man seems to have tried every
possible way of dealing with such problems. Different societies have found different workable
patterns. A group through trial and error, sheer accident or some unknown influence may arrive
at one of the possibilities, repeats it and accepts it as the normal way of behavior. It is passed on
the succeeding generations and becomes one of the ways of the group of the folk hence a
folkway. According to Sumner, men inherited from their beast ancestor's psycho-physical traits,
instincts and dexterities or at least predispositions which give them aid in solving the problem of
food supply, sex, commerce and vanity. The result is mass phenomena: currents of similarity,
concurrence and mutual contribution and these produce folkways. The folkways are thus the
product of frequent repetition of petty acts, often by great numbers acting in concert or at least
acting in the same way when face to face with the same needs. Mores are the customs, norms,
and behaviors that are acceptable to a society or social group. If your personal morals are in
disagreement with local mores, you should be prepared to be annoyed every time you read the
local Letters to the Editor.

Society
A society is a grouping of individuals, which is characterized by common interest and may have
distinctive culture and institutions. A "society" may refer to a particular ethnic group, such as the
Nuer, to a nation state, such as Switzerland, or to a broader cultural group, such as Western
society. An organized group of people associated together for religious, benevolent, cultural,
scientific, political, patriotic, or other purposes may also be considered a society. Human beings
are essentially social creatures, with the desire and need to be in close contact with others.
Beginning with the family, human life is one of interdependence and sharing of physical, mental,
and spiritual items. While conflict both within and between societies has been the dominant
feature of human history, all societies strive to maintain harmony within (to ensure the happiness
and safety of their members) and, at least in more recent times, many now seek harmony among
diverse societies in efforts to establish a world of peace and prosperity for all.

Nation State
The nation state is a system of organization in which people with a common identity live inside a
country with firm borders and a single government. The nation state is a system of political,
geographic, and cultural organization, and it is one of the most important parts of your life that
you don't think about. The nation state is held together by its physical boundaries, its
government, and the fact that the people believe they are connected to each other. The
fundamental parts of the nation state are the nation and the state. Let's start with the state. In the
broadest of terms, the state is a body of government. All the rules and laws combine the
government officials and their titles, the physical boundaries and those who define them - these
make up the state. The state is what makes a country run from a political, practical standpoint.
The nation, on the other hand, is the people. The nation is created by a shared belief that the
people inside a country are connected to each other. Whether you live in Cleveland, Denver, or
San Francisco, you still share a connection with other Americans. The idea that people of a
nation are connected to each other is called nationalism. Nation states must also have a shared
national culture. This is often achieved through common language, history, holidays, and
education. Sometimes national culture is a result of similar people living in the same area. In the
United States, the colonists began developing a unique national culture, which led to them
declaring war against England and creating their own government and state. On the other hand,
sometimes the nation state begins as a government and later has to try and create a national
culture. For example, when Mexico became independent from Spain, the country was too large
and fragmented for the people to have developed a national culture. There were dozens of
different identities. It took nearly a century for the Mexican government to develop a sense of
'Mexican-ness', or Mexicanidad in Spanish. The government had to carefully, and intentionally,
selects the moments from history that all Mexicans could unite around. They had to control
language, education, and holidays to make sure that all Mexicans celebrated the same national
culture. Sometimes this meant violent oppression of the people who weren't cooperating.
However, the government knew that without a national culture, the nation state had no real
power, and it would fall back into war and chaos.
Relationship between these on an MNC or FDI
Bangladesh has a rich cultural heritage with literature, poetry and music all playing important
roles in Bangladeshi society. Folk art is also very common, with weaving and complex
needlework finding its roots in traditional Bengali culture. More than 85 per cent of
Bangladeshis are Sunni Muslim and the state religion is Islam. Hindus make up 8.5 per cent of
the population, with other religious minorities including Buddhists and Christians also present.
Bangladesh is ethnically homogeneous, with Bengalis comprising 98% of the population.
Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority country. Muslims constitute around 87% of the population in
Bangladesh while Hindus and Buddhists are the most significant minorities of the country. That
is why Alcohols or hard drinks are not open in the market of Bangladesh and found illegal if
caught anywhere selling. It seems offensive to major portion of the population which also shows
the contradiction with the values, norms, society and nation’s state of the country.

Case on relationship among the values, norms, society and the nation state of
Bangladesh
Unilever is one of the biggest MNCs in our country. They have always been very much careful
about the cultural perspective of the market they are trying to penetrate. One of their most
successful products still at large in Bangladesh is the brand Fair & Lovely. While branding this
product the used the biggest fear of all the Bengali women which is their beauty. The one thing
that the British empire have been able to establish to the people of this subcontinent is that
fairness means beauty. This is the one of the biggest selling point of the so much popular cream
brand of Unilever, i.e. Fair & Lovely. They have used this cultural phenomenon to such use that
the whole nation looks to it for their beauty and using this cream has become integral to the norm
of so many people of this country. It is very common to hear any mother in both the rural &
urban families to tell their daughter to apply the cream before going out and so much more on
any kind of occasion.
Determinants of cultures in Bangladesh
The culture of Bangladesh evolved through cultural diversity and by the number of social
groups. The traditional outlook of the country intermingle different communities, religions, tribes
and groups within the country. There are some factors that contribute in shaping the overall
culture of a country. For Bangladesh the culture is shaped by the political history and present
background, prevailing economic philosophies of the country, norms, values and practice of the
society that is the social structure of the country, religious views and their domination power,
language and the structure of the education. All the key factors strongly influence the culture of
the country and their way of living. So these factors are important to understand the cultural
differences of the country. The determinants of the culture of the country are further explained
with real life cases and exhibits.

1. Political Background and economic philosophies of Bangladesh

Bangladesh has a unicameral (single-chamber) National Parliament (or Jatiya Sangsad) of 300
seats elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies. Parliament members serve for
a five-year term. The Prime Minister has executive powers and governs through the Council of
Ministers, selected by the Prime Minister. The president is chief of state and prime minister is
head of government. The president is elected to a five-year term and may serve two term total.
The President’s role becomes significant at a time when the Parliament is dissolved, and a
caretaker government is installed – as per the President’s instructions – to supervise the
elections. All citizens over 18 years of age can vote. The president of the country is Abdul
Hamid. The current governing political party is Bangladesh Awami League (AL) led by Mrs.
Sheikh Hasina. The main opposition party is Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The 11 th
general election was held in 30th December 2018. The election resulted in a landslide victory for
the Awami League-led grand alliance, which bagged 288 seats out 300. The main rival BNP-led
alliance received only 7 seats, with the remaining 3 going to independent candidates. The
country is divided into 8 main divisions, that is, Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Khulna,
Barisal, Mymensingh and Rangpur and 64 Districts which are further divided into 522 Sub
districts or upazila. Each district is run by a Deputy Commissioner who is appointed by the
government. About 64.96 % of the country’s population lives in 68,000 villages. Bangladesh has
a mixed legal system of mostly English common law and Islamic law. But mostly depends on the
principles of English Common Law. Most of the major laws in Bangladesh were enacted during
the British rule, subject to modification to reflect additional amendments in areas such as
company law and bankruptcy. Islamic Law is not applicable in civil or criminal matters and is
applied in Bangladesh only in respect of personal status and disputes, such as inheritance.
Bangladesh is a member of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC),
the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, the Indian Ocean Rim Association, Non-
Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the International Monetary Fund,
the World Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Commonwealth, the World Trade
Organization (WTO) and the United Nations (UN).

A case on working under the political background of Bangladesh

Assuming a company from another country wants establish a business in Bangladesh or in
another will have to abide by the rules and legal laws of Bangladesh. As an illustration a
company established in United Kingdom can be taken. British American Tobacco Bangladesh
(BAT) originated in London and established their business in Bangladesh. In the meantime of
doing business in Bangladesh, the government of the country imposed higher amount of tax than
the other tobacco companies of the country. British American Tobacco Bangladesh was not
expecting such treatment. They were abiding the rules quite like any other companies. At present
the company pays 47.5% tax to the government while the other tobacco companies pays 37.5%
in the same country under same tax rules. It is important that in which country the company is
doing business and the prevailing government rules under which the company will do business.
If British American Tobacco Bangladesh was doing business in Turkey, they may not be subject
of the same treatment as in Bangladesh. Therefore they country rules and the legal regulation are
highly notable and considered before establishing the business. But like the illustration of British
American Tobacco Bangladesh, any unexpected situation can occur and the company should be
prepare to deal with it since they don’t have any other choice then abide by the rules to conduct
business in the respective country.
2. Language of Bangladesh
The country’s mostly spoken language is Bangla language. It is considered as the official
language of the country. By the 3rd article of Constitution of Bangladesh, Bangla is the most
fluently used language and recognized as the first language of the country. Bangladeshis and
Non-Bangladeshis speak some of the Indo-European languages. Approximately there are 38
languages that have been widely used inside Bangladesh. Generally countries with large number
of languages tend to have similar amounts of culture within the country. Languages are shaped
by the way a person sees the world. Mostly the languages are shaped by the environment, the
way of living and the cultural factors.

Figure: Different languages used in different parts of Bangladesh (Source: Internet)

Different districts of the country have developed their own way to speak Bangla. There are some
district who has a very different kinds of language such as Chittagong, Noyakhali, Barishal,
Sylhet, Chapainababganj, Lalmanirhat, Neelphamari are some of the districts that has very
different language than the Bangla language recognized by “Bangla Academy” of Bangladesh.
There are non-verbal communications in every culture. Understanding the nonverbal
communication helps to build a strong liaison with the other party in business.
A case on language differences of Bangladesh
Taking Bata as an example for this purpose and it is owned by Canada. But the products are
mainly manufactured in Switzerland. Bata has a large portion of their investment in Bangladesh.
While doing business in Dhaka they appointed number of managers who are fluent in Bangla and
can attract customer to their shop. It won’t be a problem for the headquarters of Bata to
communicate with the Bangladesh representative having good knowledge of English. But as the
company targets all kinds of customers of the country, they enter the rural area as well. When
entering in Sylhet or Chittagong it will face problem in communicating with the local people as
they have a very different language. Until they appoint anyone from the local habitat to help
them in communicate and understanding the local practices it will be hard for them to do
business in that district.

3. Social structure of Bangladesh

Social structure basically is the concept of how the society has been formed, built and shaped.
Among the many different types of elements there are two important aspect of a social structure
of the country. One is the degree to which the basic unit of social organizations is individual as
opposed to group and degree to which a society is stratified into classes of castes. First degree
describes that the basic unit of the society is preferred to be individuals than the groups which is
quite logical. Single unit of the society is the human being living in it. The second degree
suggests that the society can be divided into number of social castes and classes which can be
seen in the societies of Hinduism where different castes and classes exist in their societies. They
highly maintain their caste system because of their religious believes.

Degree to which the basic unit of

Degree to which a society is
social organizations is individual
stratified into classes of castes
as opposed to group

Figure: Degrees of social structure (Source: Self)

In Bangladesh although agriculture is proceeding rapidly agriculture employs about two-thirds of
the population. Bangladesh has predominantly remained rural and agrarian. Since more than 50
percent of the population, which has increased, dependents on agriculture for sustenance and
employment are the peasant economy of the production in Bangladesh. Being a citizen of this
country, one simply cannot ignore the prevalent poverty and unemployment in the rural sector
and the consequential rise in the number of unemployment in the urban areas as well. Villages
play a very important role for Bangladesh. Without these villages economic development of this
country is not possible. Social Composition of the country consists of the main and the basic
stratification between the rich landlords and the poor farmers. Beside this rural people of
Bangladesh, they are stratified by other reasons also. The reasons are related to their religion,
area and values. Society in village is not strictly stratified; rather, it is open, fluid, and diffused,
without solid social organization and social structure. Social class distinct is mostly functional
and there is considerable mobility among classes. Even the structure of the Hindu caste system in
Bangladesh is relatively eased because most Hindus belonged to the lower castes.

Social Organization
Social Categories

Social Strata
Stra
tum

Figure: Social structure (Source: Self)

Fairly permeable classes based on wealth end political influence existed both in the cities and in
the villages. Traditional Muslim class distinctions had little importance in Bangladesh. The
proscription against marriage between individuals of high-born end low-born families, once an
indicator of the social gap between the two groups, had long ego disappeared; most matrimonial
alliances were based on wealth end power and not on the ties of family distinction, and the same
condition belong to the village. Although Hindu society is formally stratified into caste
categories, caste did not figure prominently in the Bangladeshi Hindu community. About 75
percent of the Hindus in 3znsIadesh belonged to the lower castes, notably namasudras (lesser
cultivators), and the remainder belonged primarily outcaste or untouchable groups. Bangladeshi
Hindus seemed have become part of the mainstream culture without surrendering their religious
and cultural distinctions. Culture Language and Literature more than 95 percent of the people of
Bangladesh speak Bengali which is one of the earliest modem languages. Early Bengali lyrical
form is originated in the 7th century. Its mediaeval period underlined a steady upsurge of poesy,
having strong devotional and romantic overtones. Since the early decades of this century,
modern Bengali literature swept into the mainstream of world culture through the works of such
geniuses as Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Rabindranath Tagore and the rebel poet Kazi Nazrul
Islam while poet Jasimuddin's austere lyrical anecdotes depicting rural life with its joys, sorrows
and romance which is highly reflected in the social root of every social of Bangladeshi people.

Therefore the culture of the country reflects quite of its social structure. Every bit of it
contributes in the shaping of the social structure, social stratification and the stratum. The
independence war, the social movements and other natural calamities could not stop the nation to
grow bigger and become more beautiful by the social groups.

4. Religious and Ethical Systems of Bangladesh

Religion is defined as a system of shared beliefs and rituals that are connected with the realm of
the sacred. Ethical systems refer to a set of moral principles or values that are used to guide and
shape behavior. Before entering or get mingled with another nation a general level of knowledge
regarding religious beliefs of that nation. A small mistake may result in big clash.
 Christianis Animism
Hinduism Budhism m
9% 1% 0%
0%

Islam
90%

Figure: Pie chart for religion wise population (Source: Self)

Name of religion Percentage of total population

Islam 90%

Hinduism 9%

Buddhism .6%

Christianity .3%

Animism .1%

Figure: Data table for religion wise population (Source: World Population Clock)

Bangladesh is a Muslim majority nation with Islam as its state religion of the country professed
by the majority and freedom of religion is guaranteed by its constitution in which it gives equal
rights to all citizens irrespective of religion. There are mainly five types of religions I our
country. They are tabulated below according to their percentage of our total population.

So based on the above table we can say that Islam is the dominating religion here. However in
our country Islamic religion is often heavily mixed with pre Islam folk tradition. Religion plays
very important role in Bangladesh and it shapes many areas of Bangladeshi culture. Many
Bangladeshis prefer their religious identity rather their national identity. It is also mentionable
that Bangladeshis practice a tolerant form of Islam and are generally very accepting of non-
Muslims. So if someone is coming to our country for the purpose of doing business knowledge
about some important principles of Islam is required.
Impact of religion on the legal and policy Framework
Islamic laws play a civil matters pertaining to the Muslim community but there is no formal
implementation of Islamic law. Family law has separate provision for Muslims, Hindus and
Christians. Family laws concerning marriage, divorce, and adoption differ depending on the
religious beliefs of the people involved. For example, under the Muslim family ordinance
females inherit less and have fewer divorce rights than men.

Impact of religion on education

Religious studies are compulsory and part of the curriculum in all government schools. Students
attend classes in which their own religious beliefs are taught. Schools with few students from
minority religious groups are generally allowed to make arrangements with local churches or
temples to hold religious studies classes outside of school hours.

Islam and its economic Implication in Bangladesh

Currently there are 150.3 million Muslim populations in Bangladesh. Muslims are the
predominant community of the country and they form the majority of the population in all eight
divisions of Bangladesh. Overwhelming majority of Muslims in Bangladesh are Bengali
Muslims at 88%, but a small segment about 2% of them are Bihari Muslims and Assamese
Muslims. Most Muslims in Bangladesh are Sunnis, but there is a small Shia community and an
even smaller Ahmadiyya community. Some main festivals observed by the Muslims of
Bangladesh are Eid-Ul-Fitr, Eid-Ul Adha, Muharram, Millad un Nabi, Shab e Barat etc. On these
days all the Muslims get together and exchange greetings with each other’s. Many delicious
foods are also cooked to celebrate those days. Some days are observed in such way which is not
instructed by Holy Quran. Ministry of Religious Affairs ensures the proper celebration of all
festivals of all religions. The Muslim community in the Bengal region developed independent of
the dominant Islamic trends in India. Features of Bangladeshi Hinduism, which differed in some
respects from Hinduism in other parts of South Asia, influenced both the practices and the social
structure of the Bangladeshi Muslim community. In spite of the general personal commitment to
Islam by the Muslims of Bangladesh, observance of Islamic rituals and tenets varies according to
social position, locale, and personal considerations. In rural regions, some beliefs and practices
tend to incorporate elements that differ from and often conflict with orthodox Islam.
For this reason most of the business companies of Bangladesh are based on religious belief of
Islam. Before entering into this country basic level of religious belief regarding Islam is required.

Hinduism and its Economic Implication in Bangladesh

Hinduism is the second largest religious affiliation in Bangladesh, with around 14 million people
identifying themselves as Hindus. Hindus make up about 8.5% of the total population. In terms
of population, Bangladesh has the third largest Hindu community of the world, after India and
Nepal. Bangladeshi Hindus are predominantly Bengali Hindus, but a distinct Hindu population
also exists among the indigenous tribes like Garo, Khasi, Jaintia, Santhal, Bishnupriya Manipuri,
Tripuri, Munda, Oraon, Dhanuk etc. Hindus are evenly distributed throughout all regions of
Bangladesh, with significant concentrations in northern, southwestern and northeastern parts of
the country. In nature, Bangladeshi Hinduism closely resembles the rituals and customs of
Hinduism practiced in the neighboring Indian state of West Bengal. Durga Puja, Rath Yatra,
Janmashthomi are some main festival of Hindus.

Caste problem is not so common in our country but still there are some communities where this
problem exists. Lower caste people still cannot attend some function of higher caste people
which creates discrimination among the Hindu believers.

Buddhism and its Economic Implication in Bangladesh

Currently there are 1 million Buddhists in our country. The Buddhist architecture of Cambodia,
Indonesia and Thailand, including the Angkor Wat Temple and the Borobudur vihara, are
believed to have been inspired by the ancient monasteries of Bangladesh such as the Somapura
Maha vihara. Most of the followers of Buddhism in Bangladesh live in the Chittagong division.
Here, Buddhism is practised by the Bengali-speaking Baruas, who are almost exclusively
Buddhist and are concentrated heavily in the Chittagong area as well as few of the Barua
Buddhists live in other parts of Bangladesh, such as Comilla, Mymensingh, Rangpur, Sylhet
districts. he beliefs and rituals of the Buddhist communities in this region are amalgamations of
Buddhism and ancient animistic faiths. Buddha Purnima is the most widely observed festival
among both Bengali Buddhists and Buddhist tribes. The Economic significance of Buddhism in
Bangladesh is not as significant as the portion of population is very low.
Christianity and its Economic Implication in Bangladesh
Christianity arrived in what is now Bangladesh during the late sixteenth to early seventeenth
centuries AD, through the Portuguese traders and missionaries. Christians account for
approximately 0.4% of the total population and they are mostly urban community. Roman
Catholicism is predominant among the Bengali Christians, while the remaining are mostly
Baptist and others. Few followers of Christianity are also present among certain indigenous tribal
communities such as Garo, Santal, Orao, Chakma, khasi, Lushei, Bawm etc. It has also low
economic significance due to lower portion of population.

Other religion: Sikhism

There are approximately 100,000 people adhering to the religion of Sikhism. The presence of
this religion goes back to the visitation of Guru Nanak in 1506–07 with some of his followers to
spread Sikhism in the region of the present-day Bangladesh. When some Bengali people
accepted this faith, a Sikh community was born.

Religious Implication on Business of Bangladesh

Though there are no binding rules of following religious law in our constitution but religious
beliefs has strong impact on the nature of business in Bangladesh. As we can notice that due to
the forbiddance of drinking alcohol in Islam many companies of outside world are no been able
to enter our market explicitly. A foreign company cannot easily start selling of products made
with pork as it is also forbidden in Islam. Islam is a dominating religion in Bangladesh. So it will
get the priority over other religions in case of country features analysis before entering into this
market. During different festivals especially Muslim festival the sale of different products
increases. That means business also grow up around the festivals. At last we can say that
religious belief of a country shape the nature of business to be conducted in that country.

A case on religious issue of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is an Islam dominant country. Though all the rules given in Holy Quran are not
strictly maintained but some obvious things are not allowed at all explicitly. Any kind of
addiction is banned from the perspective of Islam. That’s why government has banned import of
addiction related things. But some are imported through illegal channel. Our government has
banned a cough syrup named Codeine which contains some addictive ingredients. Some
Bangladeshi people used this syrup as a drug. Though it was also used as a medicine many
people used it in a bad way which harms our religious values. In spite of banning this medicine is
smuggled from India in a large volume. So it is clear that religious laws are followed in some
cases of our country.

5. Education System of Bangladesh

Education in Bangladesh is overseen by the Bangladesh’s Ministry of Education. Ministry of
Primary and Mass Education are responsible for implementing policy for primary education and
state-funded schools at a local level.

Figure: Categories of Education system of Bangladesh (Source: Ministry of Education People

Republic of Bangladesh)

In Bangladesh, all citizens must undertake twelve years of compulsory education which consists
of eight years at primary school level and six years at high school level. Primary and secondary
education is financed by the state and free of charge in public schools. Bangladesh conforms
fully to the UN's Education for All (EFA) objectives and the Millennium Development Goals
(MDG) as well as other education-related international declarations. Article 17 of the
Bangladesh Constitution provides that all children receive free and compulsory education.
Cultural norms are also taught indirectly at school. Respects for others, obedience to authority,
honesty, neatness, being on time, and so on are all part of the “hidden curriculum’ of schools.
The use of a grading system also teaches children the value of personal achievement and
competition. From an international business perspective, one important aspect of education is its
role as determinant of national competitive advantage. The availability of a pool of skilled and
educated workers seems to be a major determinant of the likely economic success of a country.

6. Culture & the work places of Bangladesh

Culture is the environment that surrounds you at work all of the time. It is a powerful element
that shapes your work enjoyment, your work relationships, and your work processes. However,
culture is not something that you can see, except through its physical manifestations in your
workplace. Anthropologist Edward Tylor defined culture as “that complex whole which includes
knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and other capabilities acquired by man as a member
of society. Geert Hofstede defined culture as “the collective programing of the mind which
distinguishes the members of one human group from another where culture includes systems of
values and values are among the building blocks of culture

In Bangladesh workplace culture is a bit different from other countries in some aspects that are
stated below:

 Here on first meet hand shaking or giving salaam is treated as good gesture in
Bangladesh

 On the beginning of a business deal sometimes advance payment is asked.

 Lobbing with the senior officers is treated as one of the ways of getting promotion.

 Workplace gossip here in Bangladesh is acute and decreases the productivity of

employees.

 Mostly in government workplace bribery is asked to progress the duty of officers.

  To get a job along with your merit you’ll have to provide illegal money.

 Inter personal relation here in Bangladesh remains though business deal is finished

Cultural Change
Several studies have suggested that economic advancement and globalization may be important
factors in societal change. The culture of societies may also change as they become richer
because economic progress affects a number of other factors, which in turn influence culture.
With regard to globalization, some have argued that advances in transportation and
communication technologies, the dramatic increase in trade that we have witnessed since World
War two. Cultural change regarding Bangladesh is given below:

 Income has increased over last 20 years in Bangladesh that lead to cultural changes.

 Now women are coming to workplaces and taking responsibilities in Bangladesh.

 Technology based businesses such as Pathao, Shohoz, Bkash is doing business.

 Transactions are happening through online and people are taking it as normal.

These are the changes due to the culture happening in Bangladesh and are regarded as cultural
changes.

Cross cultural literacy

Multinational companies operating in Bangladesh is facing some sort of problems as the culture
of our country is different from the culture of their originating country and the most required
thing needed by these multinational companies is cross cultural literacy of Bangladesh. This
include

 The moral view of Bangladesh people who will be their potential customers.

 The appropriate incentives pay systems for salespeople in Bangladesh.

 The tenor of relations between management and labor in Bangladesh it’s vital

 The manner in which the product is promoted & it should be halal product as it is a
Muslim country.
If these are not maintained in Bangladesh it will cause a great loss for that company. This will
happen due to ill information. To combat the danger of being ill- informed, international
businesses should consider emphasizing local citizens to help them for business in a particular
culture. They must also ensure that home country executives are cosmopolitan enough to
understand how differences in culture affect the practice of international business.

Culture & Competitive advantage

The value systems and norms of a country influence the costs of doing business in that country.
The costs of doing business in a country influence the ability of firms to establish a competitive
advantage in the global marketplace. The culture set in Bangladesh in RMG sector that made the
workers hardworking and productive and that became out advantage in world market.

A case on cultural changes of Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Ready-Made Garment industry has grown over the space of a few short decades
to become the second largest in the world. The RMG sector has become a key driver of the
Bangladesh economy and the nation’s development. RMG exports totaling US$24.5 billion
(2013-14) accounting for over 80% of the nation’s export earnings and employing around 4
million workers, an estimated 55-60% of whom are women. This is the biggest change in our
culture that we are letting our women work and became a high growth country.
Conclusion
Throughout the whole report we have seen several times that culture has a great influence over
the practices of doing business in a particular country. We have observed different phenomenon
of culture from the Bangladesh point of view. We also have seen that different culture has
different impact that creates its own cross cultural literacy and influence the way a business
should be doing in that area. We have discussed the culture influential aspects such as political
structure, language, social structure, religious & ethical system, and education system &
workplace culture from the Bangladesh perspective. We also stated current necessary statistics
and data that strengthened our discussion. Doing business on a global basis requires a good
understanding of different cultures. What works in your country might not work well in another,
and could even be interpreted as an insult. And in the role as an international business
perspective, it’s important to raise the awareness of cultural issues within your organization to
ensure effectiveness. This report would help us understand the importance of Bangladeshi
culture in business.