Leading University

Assignment on

“Society and Social Structure of Bangladesh: A study on Family, Culture,

Religion, Inequality, Poverty and Education”.

Course Tittle: Bangladesh Studies

Course Code: ART-1111

Submitted to

Fatama Yesmin Khan

(Lecturer)

Department of Business Administration

Leading University, Sylhet

Submitted by

Group-3

Student ID Name
2012020280 Moksudul Islam Rifat
2012020284 Kawser Ahmed
2012020291 Ferdous Ara Basith Silvi
2012020295 Khadiza Akther(Group Leader)
2012020296 Touhid Hasan Badhon
2012020297 Md. Abdul Muhyemin Al Syed
2012020298 Mst. Humayra Kabir Nisa
2012020299 Md. Sajjadur Rahman
Section: 3F

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Leading University, Sylhet

Date of Submisson: December 17, 2020 .

 “Society And Social Structure of Bangladesh: A study on Family, Culture,
Religion, Inequality, Poverty and Education”.

Introduction
A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large group
sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority
and dominant cultural expectations. Social structure the distinctive, stable arrangement of
institutions whereby human beings in a society interact and live together. Social structure is
often treated together with the concept of social change, which deals with the forces that
change the social structure and the organization of society. Social Structure a term loosely
applied to any recurring pattern of social behavior, or, more specifically, to ordered
interrelationships between different elements of a society. Social structure comprises
different family, kinship, culture, religion, inequality, poverty, education, and other
institutions as well as of norms, values and social roles of the members of a society. In
society family performs several essential functions for society, as a family is the main core
part of society. And culture is a complete picture of life of a nation or society. It reflects the
inner aspects of a nation or a society. The culture of a society is made up of all its ideas good
or bad, ways of behavior, language, thoughts, music, dress, ways of working and playing,
and tools and other objects made and used by the people of that society. The people of
Bangladesh have their own culture. They have their own language, religion, ways of
behavior, ways of speaking and eating, games and sports, dress, music, social and religious
values and customs, art and literature. Although they have a rich and traditional culture, it is
going under the influence of foreign culture. In a society and social structure religion
performs the key function of providing social solidarity in a society. The rituals, the worship
of icons and the belief in a supernatural beings “excite, maintain or recreate certain mental
states” that bring people together, provide a ritual and symbolic focus, and unify them. In
society inequality is characterized by the existence of unequal opportunities and rewards for
different social positions or statuses in a group or society. It contains structure and
recurrent patterns of unequal distributions of goods, wealth, opportunities, rewards, and
punishments. In society poverty, its manifestations include hunger and malnutrition, limited
access to education and other basic services, social discrimination and exclusion as well as
the lack of participation in decision-making. Various social groups bear disproportionate
burden of poverty. Poverty is a state or condition in which a person or community lacks the
financial resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living. In a society poverty is
hunger and poverty is lack of shelter. In society and social structure education play an very
important role. Education is the social institution through which society provides its
members with important knowledge, including basic facts, job skills, and cultural norms
values. One of the most important benefits of education is that it improves personal lives
and helps the society to run smoothly. Society and social structure mostly depends on all of
these. Social structure theories emphasize poverty, lack of education, absence of
marketable skills, and subcultural values as fundamental causes of crime.
Society and Social Structure: A study on Family

Family is defined as a specific group of people that may be made up of partners, children,
parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. The family performs several essential
functions for society, as a family is the main core part of society. 

Social Function of a Family

First of all, one of the most important functions of the family is the socialization of
children. In most societies, the family is the major unit through which socialization occurs
that provides emotional and practical support for its members. Family is the first teacher to
every child. A child learns everything about society and social structure from its family. No
society is possible without adequate socialization of its young. In most societies, the family
is the major unit in which socialization happens. Parents, siblings, and, if the family is
extended rather than nuclear, other relatives all help to socialize children from the time
they are born. Second of all, the family is ideally a major source of practical and emotional
support for its members. It provides them with food, clothing, shelter, and other essentials,
and it also provides them love, comfort, help in times of emotional distress, and other types
of intangible support that we all need. Thirdly, the family provides its members with a social
identity. Children are born into their parents’ social class, race and ethnicity, religion, and so
forth. As we have seen in earlier chapters, social identity is important for our life chances.
Some children have advantages throughout life because of the social identity they acquire
from their parents, while others face many obstacles because the social class or race and
ethnicity into which they are born are at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Moreover,
Family helps regulate sexual activity and sexual reproduction. All societies have norms
governing with whom and how often a person should have sex. The family is the major unit
for teaching these norms and the major unit through which sexual reproduction occurs. One
reason for this is to ensure that infants have adequate emotional and practical care when
they are born. The incest taboo that most societies have, which prohibits sex between
certain relatives, helps to minimize conflict within the family if sex occurred among its
members and to establish social ties among different families and thus among society as a
whole.

Family life of Bangladesh

Extended families usually live together, and the children, especially the sons, are expected
to look after their elders.  Likewise, grandparents are responsible for children when their
parents are away. Bangladesh society is male-dominated, and they're very protective of
their female relatives.  Women are discouraged from being outside after sunset and usually
have a low status in society except for the upper class.  In cities, most people live in
apartment buildings.  In urban slum areas, houses are made of bamboo structures with a
roof of bamboo or tin.  In villages or rural areas, people live in small clusters of bamboo or
mud huts.

 Non-Essential Functions for Society:

 1. Economic Functions: Family serves as an economic unit. The earlier agricultural
family was a self-supporting ‘business enterprise’. It was producing whatever the
family needed. Today the importance of family as an economic unit has been
lessened as most of the goods for consumption are purchased readymade from the
market.

The family still remains as an important economic unit from the point of view of
‘consumer’s outlay’. In other words, a modern family is a consuming unit and not a
self-sufficient ‘producing unit’.

2. Property Transformation: The family acts as an agency for holding and transmission
of property. Most families accumulate much property such as land, goods, money
and other forms of wealth. The family transmits this property.

3. Religious Function: Family is a center for religious training of the children. The
children learn various religious virtues from their parents. The religious and moral
training of children has always been bound up with the home. Though formal
religious education has reached into the earliest years the family still furnishes the
matrix of religious ideas, attitudes and practice.

4. Educative Function: The family provides the bases of all the child’s latter formal
education learning. Family is the first school of children. The child learns the first
letters under the guidance of parents. In the words Mazzini, the first lesson of a child
begins between a mother’s kiss and father’s care. The child learns language,
behavior and manners from the parents. The virtues of love, cooperation,
obedience, sacrifice and discipline are learnt by the child in the family.

5. Recreational Function: The family provides recreation to its members. The members
of the family visit their relations. They enjoy various occasions in the family jointly
and derive pleasure. Now recreation is available in clubs and hotels rather than at
home.

6. Wish Fulfillment: The family gives moral and emotional support for the individual
member, providing his defense against social isolation and loneliness and satisfying
his need for personal happiness and love. The wife finds in the husband love,
security, protection and strength, while the husband expects from her affection,
tenderness, help and devotion.

To conclude, there are certain core functions with which the family is always and
everywhere concerned. As Kingsley Davis says, there is no other social group which
can perform this peculiar combination of great functions as its main societal task.
The family has given up some of the functions that it performed in the past. But by
and large, the family remains the most important primary group in society for
accomplishing certain essential functions.

Society and Social Structure: A study on Culture

Culture & Heritage

Culture refers to the cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes,
meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the
universe and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course
of generations through individual and group striving.

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.

Anholt regards culture in triple role:

  Source of value,
  Communicator of value and
  Revenue earner.


Culture of Bangladesh

Bangladesh has a rich, diverse culture. Its deeply rooted heritage is thoroughly reflected in
its architecture, dance, literature, music, painting and clothing. The three primary religions
of Bangladesh (Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism) have a great influence on its culture and
history.The people of Bangladesh have a rich fictional legacy, with the first available form fo
literature being over a thousand years old. Bengali literature developed considerably during
the medieval period with the rise of popular poets such as Chandi Das, Daulat Kazi an
Alaol.The traditional music of Bangladesh is very much the same as that of the Indian sub-
continent. The music in Bangladesh can be divided into three main categories: classical,
modern and folk. Most prevalent fo folk songs and music traditions include Bhatiali, Baul,
Marfati, Murshidi and . Lyricists like Lalon Shah, Hason Raja, Kangal Harinath, Romesh Shill,
Abbas Uddin lead many unknown anonymous lyrists have enriched the tradition of folk
songs of Bangladesh. In relatively modern context, Rabindra Sangeet and Nazrul geeti form
precious cultural heritage of Bangladesh. Both bocal and instrumental classical music is
enjoyed in Bangladesh. Ustad Ayet Ali Khan and Ustad Alauddin are two famous classical
instrumental players that are internationally known. Modern music is becoming more
popular and is practiced widely. Contemporary, pop songs and bands are also enjoying more
widespread fame.

Tribal dances are very popular among the Bangladeshis. The countryside girls are in the
habit of dancing to popular folk music. Their dances require no regulations are such, just a
small amount of courage and a big amount of rhythm. Popular songs like Shari and Jari are
presented with the accompanying dace for both male and female performers.

Bangladesh has a history. The land, the rivers and the lives of the common people formed a
rich bent age with marked differences from neighboring regions. It has evolved over the
centuries and encompasses the cultural diversity of several social groups of Bangladesh.
Festivals and celebrations:

Festivals and celebrations are integral part of the culture of Bangladesh. Prominent and
widely celebrated festivals are Pohela Baishakh, Language Movement Day, Independence
Day, National Mourning Day, Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha, Muharram, and Durga puja.

Pohela Boishakh

Pohela Boishakh is the first day of the Bangla calendar. It is the festival that is celebrated
by the people of all religions. In today’s Bangladesh, the festival is gaining prominence,
which is not related to religion. It is observed with great enthusiasm on the first day of
Baisakh. Its main characteristic is that it is a social festival and its appeal is universal.It is
usually celebrated on the 14th of April. Pohela Boishakh marks the start day of the crop
season. The most colorful 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.Social and cultural organizations celebrate the day with cultural programs. The Halkhat
function, observed mainly by the merchant community, is still in yogue on the occasion fo
Pahela Baisakh.

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 honor this movement, Shaheed Minar, a
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 nationalleaders pay tribute to the martyrs by leaving
flowers at Shaheed Minar. A very melodious and melancholy song, Amar Bhaier Rokte
Ranano, written by Abdul Gffar choudhury and composed by Altaf Mahmud, and especially
on February 21. This song, too, has become a symbolic mark of culture of Bangladesh. In
1999, UNESCO declared the day as ‘International Mother Language Day’ and is observed the
day though out the world.

Independence Day

One of the main state festivals in Bangladesh is ‘Independece Day’. The day is observed on
26 March in every year. In this day in 1971, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared
the independence of Bangladesh. In this day, the country wears a celebratory look especially
in capital city and other major cities of the country. People from all corners of the society
including improvement leaders, soci-political organizations and freedom fighters place,
cultural organizations, students, intellectuals, journalists, Head of the foreign missions, floral
wreaths at the National Martyrs Monument at savar. Bangla Academy, Bangladesh
Shilpakala Academy and other socio-cultural organizations hold cultural functions,
discussions, meetings toumaments all over the country. For a dazzling look, all public and
private buildings and establishments are illuminated.

Victory Day

Another important state-festival is observed on 16 December in every year as the ‘Victory

Day’ of the country. Different programs are initiated on this day like the ‘Independence Day’
throughout the country. The commander of the Pakistani occupation forces surrendered on
16 December 1971 at Suhrawardy Uddayan formerly known as the Race Course Maiden in
Dhaka and Bangladesh became as an independent country.

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 fitr. People living in towns having their families or parents in
villages go to their villages to meet relatives and celebrate the festival together.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. The biggest
congregation of  Bangladesh is held at Sholakia in Kishoreganj, where about half a million
people join the Eid prayer. After the Eid prayers, people return home, visit eachother’s
home and eat sweet deshes called Shirni. Throughout the day gentlemen embrace each
other. It is also customary for juniou members of the society to touch the feet of the
seniors, and seniors returning blessings .Eid ul-Azha: 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 of Eid ul-Azha. Numerous temporary market places of different sezes called Haat
operate in the big cities for sale fo Qurbani animals .

Eid-e-Miladunnabi

Eid-e-Miladunnabi is the birth and death anniversary of the great Prophet Hazrat
Muhammad (s) which is very important day to the Muslim community. He was born and
died the same day on 12th Rabiul Awal (Lunar Month). The Muslim community offers special
prayers, milad mahfils, munajats and the discussions are arraged on the Islami ideals, way of
life and teaching of the prophet (s). the day is national a holiday.

Rabindra and Nazrul Jayanti

Birth anniversary of the noble laureate Rabindranath tagore on 25 th Baishakah (7 May) and
some of the National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam on 11 th Jaystha (25 May) are observed
throughout the country. Different cultural programs are arranged and discussions are held
on those occasions.
Durga Puja

The Hindu community observes their biggest religious festival popularly known as Durga
Puja throughout country for ten days and the last three days being culmination with the idol
immersed in rivers. Another very attractive festival of Hindu community which is known as
Langalbandh Mela is observed by them every year near Sonargaon on the last day of
Chaittra (last Bengali month).

Christmas

The main festival of Christmas community popularly known as “Bara Din (Christmas Day)”
is celebrated in 25th December including illumination of churches, decoratin Christmas tree
and other Christian festivities and it is also a govt holiday. Several day-long large gatherings
are held a St Mary’s Cathedral at Ramna, Portuguese church at Tejgaon, Church of
Bangladesh (Protestant) on Johnson Road and Bangladesh Baptist Sangha at Sadarghat
Dhaka.

Buddha Purnima

The main and important religious festival of Buddhist community is observed throughout
the country. They also celebrate Baishakhi Purnima and Maghi Purnima throughout the
country. In addition to that, various other festivals are habitually observed by Bangaless all
the year round.

Lalon Mela

Fokir Lalon Shah, a prominent philosopher poet in the cultural history of Bangladesh,
established a distinctive tradition of philosophical thoughts through his thousands of songs
and compositions. This legendary figure was born on 1774 CEand died on 1890, leaving
controversial issues regarding his identity. He lived in the village Cheuria at Noda of British-
India era and Kushtia district of present Bangladesh. He is called as the Baul Shamrat (the
Emperor of Bauls) for his distinctive views about life which denies the concrete affairs of the
search of ecstasy of human soul. The akhra (the place where Lalon lived) is decorated
colorfully during this occasion and thousands of his devotees from different places of the
country gather here to celebrate the day.

Nobanno Utsab

Nobanno is the festival of gravest in Bengal. The word translates as “New Rice”. The
festival takes place in the month of agrohayon or Aghran of the Bangla Calendar. Festivities
include making traditional cakes named “pitha”.Nabanno ‘ the traditional annual event
marking the harvest of new crops, was celebrated with much fanfare across the country. In
the capital, the university of Dhaka celebrations are held at Bakultala at the Institute of Fine
Arts on November 15. They arranged the day long celebrations.The festival included
racitations, dance and folk songs, especially Jari and Sari with members of several cultural
organizations performing traditional dances.
Nakshi Kantha

Bangladesh has lots of traditional and cultural record. Lots of folks traditional and cultural
activities showing over the world. Bangladesh’s old traditional art is “Nakshi Kantha”. It
represents our traditional and cultural activities. Bangladeshi Nakshi Kantha is the most
popular in the world. only Bangladesh makes the first time these types of art over the world,
and become so popular for this.

Most Popular Sports

Football, cricket are most popular games in Bangladesh. Kabaddi is the national sport of
Bangladesh. Cricket is a game which has a massive and passionate following in Bangladesh .
Bangladesh has joined the elite group of countries eligible to play Test cricket since 2000.
The Bangladesh national cricket team goes by the nickname of the Tigers—after the Royal
Bengal Tiger. Ha-du-du,Satchara,Kanamachi are the traditional game in Bangladesh. So, at
last ,The indigenous communities of Bangladesh have their own culture and tradition full of
colorful diversity . We should always remember that ,We are Bangladeshi , We have our
own rich culture, and we should maintain our own Culture and Tradition .

Society and Social Structure: A study on Religion

Bangladesh is constitutionally a secular state and secularism is one of the four
fundamental principles of the Constitution of Bangladesh. Despite having Islam as the state
religion, Bangladesh is mostly governed by secular laws set up during the times when the
country was ruled by the British Crown. The constitution also states that “The state shall
ensure equal status and equal right in the practice of the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and
other religions”. “Freedom of religion” is its basic structure guaranteed by Bangladeshi
constitution in which it calls for equal rights to all its citizens irrespective of their religious
differences and it also bans discrimination on the grounds of religion in various platforms.
Bangladesh is one of the fewest secular Muslim-majority nation and “proselytizing” i.e.
conversions from one religion to another are generally accepted and is legalized by law.
As per 2016 by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Muslims constitute over 88.23% of the
population, while Hindus constitute 10.69% and remaining rest constitute more than 1%. A
survey in late 2003 confirmed that religion is the first choice by a citizen for  self-
identification. The constitution denominates Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, and Buddhism.
Islam
The Muslim population in Bangladesh was over 146 million in 2011, which makes up 90%
percent of the population in the country. The Constitution of Bangladesh declares Islam as
the state religion. Bangladesh is the fourth-largest Muslim-populated country. 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.
Most Muslims in Bangladesh are Sunnis, but there is a small Shia community. Most of those
who are Shia reside in urban areas. Although these Shias are few in number, Shia
observance commemorating the martyrdom of Muhammad’s grandson, Husain Ibn Ali, is
widely observed by the nation's, Sunnis. Muslims celebrate Eid ul-Fitr, Eid ul-
Adha, Muharram, Milad-Un-Nabi, Shab-e-Barat and Chand Raat all across the country with
much fanfare and grandeur. The annual Bishwa Ijtema is the largest and most notable
congregation of Muslims in Bangladesh.
The Muslim community in the Bengal region (West Bengal, Bangladesh) developed
independently 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. According to Aziz Ahmad, Arabic Islamic scholars have
considered the form of Islam followed in Bengal  (Bangladesh, West Bengal) to have some
elements of Crypto-Hinduism in it.

Hinduism
Hinduism is the second largest religious affiliation in Bangladesh, with around 14 million
people identifying themselves as Hindus and making up about 8.5% of the total population
according to the 2011 census, down from 9.2 percent as of the 2001 census. According to a
random sampling from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), there were 17 million
Hindus in Bangladesh constituting 10.7% by the end of 2015, out of a total 158.9 million
population. In terms of population, Bangladesh is the third largest Hindu populated country
of the world, just 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 practised in the neighbouring Indian state of West Bengal, with which
Bangladesh (at one time known as East Bengal) was united until the partition of India in
1947. Hindu festivals of Durga Puja, Rath Yatra and Janmashtami witness jubilant
celebrations across various cities, towns and villages of Bangladesh.

Buddhism
About 1,000,000 people in Bangladesh adhere to the Theravada school of Buddhism.
Buddhists form about 0.6% of the population of Bangladesh.
In antiquity, the region of present-day Bangladesh was a center of Buddhism in Asia.
Buddhist civilization, including philosophies and architecture, traveled to Tibet, Southeast
Asia and Indonesia from Bengal. 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 Mahavihara.
Strange though it may now seem in such an overwhelmingly Muslim country, Buddhism has
been no small player in the nation's history and culture.
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, ran live in southeastern
region, especially in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Chittagong and Co gpur, Sylhet districts. Most
of the followers of Buddhism in Bangladesh milla district. Most of the Buddhists of
Chittagong Hill Tracts belong to the Chakma, Marma, Mru, Khumi, Bawm, Chak, Kuki,
Murang, Tanchangya and Khiang tribes, who since time immemorial have practised
Buddhism. Other tribal communities who practise animism, have come under some
Buddhist influence. The 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.

Christianity
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 an 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.

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. This community
became bigger when almost 10,000 Sikhs came from India during the Bangladesh Liberation
War. This community has made great progress in the country. Today there are almost
10 gurdwaras in Bangladesh. Among them only 7 are well-known, especially the Gurdwara
Nanak Shahi beside the University of Dhaka in Dhaka, which was built in 1830, the oldest
gurdwara in Bangladesh.

Law, Religious, and Religious Freedom

Although Bangladesh initially opted for a secular nationalist ideology as embodied in its
constitution, the principle of secularism was subsequently replaced by a commitment to the
Islamic way of life through a series of constitutional amendments and government
proclamations between 1977 and 1988. During the eighties, the state was designated
exclusively Islamic. However, in 2010, the secularism of the 1972 constitution was
reaffirmed. The government generally respects this provision in practice; however, some
members of the Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, and Ahmadiyya communities experience
discrimination. The Government (2001-2006), led by an alliance of four parties (Bangladesh
Nationalist Party, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Oikya Jote and Bangladesh Jatiyo
Party) banned the Ahmadiyya literature by an executive order.
Family laws concerning marriage, divorce, and adoption differ depending on the religion of
the person involved. There are no legal restrictions on marriage between members of
different faiths.
In 2010, secularism was restored, but Islam remains the nominal state religion.

Persecution of minorities
There have been several instances of violence against the religious minorities in
Bangladesh. Hindus, Buddhists and Christians have come under widespread attacks by
Islamist extremists during communal riots, elections and post-poll violence.
Most of these attacks target Hindus, the largest minority of the country, who are particularly
vulnerable in a period of rising violence and extremism, whether motivated by religious,
political or criminal factors, or some combination. Bangladesh has been rocked by several
anti-Hindu riots in 1992, 2001, 2013 and 2014. These violences included attacking and killing
Hindus, looting and burning of Hindu-owned properties and businesses, abduction and rape
of women, desecrating and destroying Hindu temples by the extremist Muslim mobs. There
are also alleged discrimination against Hindus by the administration in the form of Vested
Property Act by which over 40% of Hindu-owned lands and houses have been confiscated,
intimidation during elections and revoking their names from electoral rolls. Since the rising
of Islamist political parties during 1990s, large number of Hindu families have migrated from
Bangladesh to India due to a sense of insecurity and economic necessity. These factors
combined with lower birth rates of minorities have resulted in a dwindling Hindu population
in the country.
The Bihari ethnic minority in Bangladesh has been subject to persecution during and after
1971 Liberation War. Due to their Pro-Pakistan stance, many Biharis were forcefully
repatriated to Pakistan and those who stayed back were not granted citizenship and voting
rights by Bangladesh government.

Atheism
Atheism is not common in Bangladesh. According to a 2014 WIN/GIA survey, 5% of
respondents from Bangladesh identified as "not religious", while less than 1% reported
being a "convinced atheist".
There have been multiple attacks and murders of atheist bloggers, academics and
authors by Islamist militants since 2013, with the government accused of being unable or
unwilling to provide protection – and in some cases even persecuting atheists and
imprisoning them.
Society and Social Structure: A study on Inequality

Society and Social Structure: A study on Poverty

Poverty is a state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial resources
and essentials for a minimum standard of living. Poverty means that the income level from
employment is so low that basic human needs can't be met. Also, poverty demonstrates
people and families might go without proper housing, clean water, healthy food, and
medical attention. 

There are two main classifications of poverty-

1.Absolute poverty 
2. Relative poverty 

Absolute poverty is a condition where household income is below a necessary level to

maintain basic living standards (food, shelter, and housing). This condition makes it possible
to compare between different countries and also over time. 
Relative poverty – A condition where household income is a certain percentage of below-
median incomes. For example, the threshold for relative poverty could be set at 50% of
median incomes (or 60).

Measurement of Poverty
Economic measures of poverty focus on material needs, typically including the necessities
of daily living such as food, clothing, shelter, or safe drinking water. Poverty in this sense
may be understood as a condition in which a person or community is lacking in the basic
needs for a minimum standard of well-being, particularly as a result of a persistent lack of
income. Social measures of poverty may include lack of access to information, education,
health care, or political power. Poverty may also be understood as an aspect of inequitable
social relationships, experienced as social exclusion, dependency, and/or diminished
capacity to participate in society. According to the World Bank, definitions of poverty
include low income and the inability to acquire the basic goods and services necessary for
survival with dignity. Poverty also encompasses low levels of health and education, poor
access to clean water and sanitation, inadequate physical security, lack of voice, and
insufficient capacity and opportunity to better one’s life.

Poverty is usually measured as either absolute or relative poverty. Absolute poverty refers
to a set standard which is consistent over time and between countries. The World Bank uses
this definition of poverty to label extreme poverty as living on less than US $1.25 per day,
and moderate poverty as less than $2 or $5 a day.
Relative poverty explains poverty as socially defined and dependent on social context.
Usually, relative poverty is measured as the percentage of the population with income less
than some fixed proportion of median income. Relative poverty measures are used as
official poverty rates in several developed countries and are measured according to several
different income inequality metrics. Measurements are usually based on a person’s yearly
income and frequently take no account of total wealth.

The poverty line in Bangladesh

Among Bangladesh's many economic and social achievements, dramatic reduction in
poverty is often considered a phenomenon among international organizations such as IMF
and The World Bank. Between 1972 and 2018, Bangladesh's population living on less than
$1.90/day is estimated to have fallen from 90% to 9%. Between 2008 and 2018, the per
capita income in the country increased 149%

Causes of Poverty:
1. Lack of good jobs/job growth: This is the first reason a lot of people think about.
When you don’t have a good job, you aren’t getting a good income. In many
countries, traditional jobs like farming are disappearing. The Democratic Republic of
Congo is a good example, where most of the population live in rural areas stripped of
natural resources from years of colonialism. Half of the DRC live below the poverty
line. Even in nations like the United States where many people do have jobs, those
 jobs aren’t paying enough. According to the Economic Policy Institute, large groups
of workers with full-time, year-round employment are still below federal poverty
guidelines.

2. Lack of good education: The second root cause of poverty is a lack of education.
Poverty is a cycle and without education, people aren’t able to better their
situations. According to UNESCO, over 170 million people could be free of extreme
poverty if they only had basic reading skills. However, in many areas of the world,
people aren’t getting educated. The reasons vary. Often times, families need kids to
work, there aren’t schools close by, or girls aren’t being educated because of sexism
and discrimination.

3. Warfare/conflict: Conflict has a huge impact on poverty. In times of war, everything

stops. Productivity suffers as well as a country’s GDP. It’s very difficult to get things
going again as foreign businesses and countries won’t want to invest. For families
and individuals, war and conflict can make it impossible to stay in one place. It’s also
very common for women to become the primary breadwinners, and they deal with
many barriers like sexual violence and discrimination.

4. Weather/climate change: According to the World Bank, climate change has the
power to impoverish 100 million people in the next decade or so. We know climate
change causes drought, floods, and severe storms, and that can take down
successful countries while pulling poor ones down even further. Recovering is
extremely difficult, as well, especially for agricultural communities where they barely
have enough to feed themselves, let alone prepare for the next harvest year.

5. Social injustice: Whether it’s gender discrimination, racism, or other forms of social
injustice, poverty follows. People who are victims of social injustice struggle with
getting a good education, the right job opportunities, and access to resources that
can lift them out of poverty. The United Nations Social Policy and Development
Division identifies “inequalities in income distribution and access to productive
resources, basic social services, opportunities” and more as a cause for poverty.
Groups like women, religious minorities, and racial minorities are the most
vulnerable.

6. Lack of food and water: Without access to basic essentials like food and water, it’s
impossible to get out of poverty’s cycle. Everything a person does will be about
getting food and water. They can’t save any money because it all goes towards their
daily needs. When there isn’t enough sustenance, they won’t have the energy to
work. They are also way more likely to get sick, which makes their financial situation
even worse.

7. Lack of infrastructure: Infrastructure includes roads, bridges, the internet, public

transport, and more. When a community or families are isolated, they have to spend
a lot of money, time, and energy getting to places. Without good roads, traveling
 takes forever. Without public transport, it may be next to impossible to get a good
job or even to the store. Infrastructure connects people to the services and
resources they need to better their financial and life situation, and without it, things
don’t get better.

8. Lack of government support: To combat many of the issues we’ve described, the
government needs to be involved. However, many governments are either unable or
unwilling to serve the poor. This might mean failing to provide (or cutting) social
welfare programs, redirecting funds away from those who need it, failing to build
good infrastructure, or actively persecuting the population. If a government fails to
meet the needs of the poor, the poor will most likely stay that way.

9. Lack of good healthcare: People who are poor are more likely to suffer from bad
health, and those with bad health are more likely to be poor. This is because
healthcare is often too expensive or inaccessible to those who need it. Without
money for medicine and treatment, the poor have to make really tough decisions,
and usually essentials like food take priority. People who are sick get sicker, and then
they can’t work, which makes the situation even direr. If people do seek treatment,
the cost often ruins their finances. It’s a vicious cycle

10. High costs: The last root of poverty is simple: stuff costs too much. Even the basics
can be too expensive. According to stats from the World Food Programmed, the
poorest households in the world are spending 60-80% of their incomes on food.
Food prices a

Implications of poverty in Bangladesh

The Gross national income (GNI) per capita measured in 2008 prices is a staggering low of
US$ 520 while GNI Purchasing Power Parity per capita is US$ 1440 (2008).  This is a dismal
figure when compared to other developed economies. Even though the poverty rate in
Bangladesh has been decreasing, it is doing so at a slow rate of less than 2% per year. 
Poverty matters because it affects many factors of growth – education, population growth
rates, the health of the workforce and public policy. Poverty is most concentrated in the
rural areas of Bangladesh, hence creating disparities between the rural and urban areas.
However, urban poverty remains a problem too. In particular, poverty has been linked
strongly to education and employment. Having an unskilled workforce also greatly
decreases the productivity of the workforce which decreases the appeal of Foreign Direct
Investments (FDIs) and thus impedes sustainable economic growth. In essence, education is
an important contribution to the social and economic development of a country. Secondly,
rising landlessness is also a consequence of poverty in Bangladesh. Lastly, for the chronic
poor, issues such as food security and health hamper social mobility. According to a study
done by the World Bank on Dhaka, the poor suffer from a lack of proper healthcare in their
areas due to the expensive and poor quality health care services.  The poverty-stricken areas
either do not have the available facilities or can only afford low-quality healthcare. This is a
problem that is common in both the rural and urban poor.

 
Poverty impact on society and social structure

A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social

group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political
authority and dominant cultural expectations. Social Structure a term loosely applied to any
recurring pattern of social behavior, or, more specifically, to ordered interrelationships
between different elements of a society. Social structure comprises different kinship,
religious, economic, political and other institutions as well as norms, values and social roles
of the members of a society. According to Professor Ronald Henderson, “poverty is not just
a personal attribute it arises out of the organization of society”. In our country capitalism,
people are swimming in money water where jobless are seeking for a job because of
poverty.  Poor families give their daughters early marriage for reducing the economic
burden, as a result, it increases the divorce rate that also grows the conflict.  
However, before the outbreak the covid-19 Bangladesh gradually declined the rate of
poverty. After finishing the outbreak, not only Bangladesh but also the world economy will
dramatically decline and will increase the poverty rate of a country.

Society and Social Structure: A study on Education

Education is an important tool which is very useful in everybody’s life. Education is what
differentiates us from other living beings on earth. It makes man the smartest creature on
earth. It empowers humans and gets them ready to face challenges of life efficiently. With that
being said, education still remains a luxury and not a necessity in our country. Educational
awareness needs to be spread through the country to make education accessible. But, this
remains incomplete without first analyzing the importance of education. Only when the people
realize what significance it holds, can they consider it a necessity for a good life. In this essay on
Education, we will see the importance of education and how it is a doorway to success.

Important of Education

Education is a learning experience, where an individual learns about various aspects of life,
understands the different perspectives and tries to apply it in daily life. Education is
important to the children, to adults and to the society. Education gives people knowledge of
the world around them and changes it into something better. It develops in people a
perspective of looking at life, helps them build opinions and have points of view on things in
life.

If a child is joined in a school, he will start learning, playing and enjoy with friends. While
learning he will understand what position he is in acquiring knowledge and he will learn slowly
to grab the top position. While playing he will understand the logic to win it; this way they start
building goals at an early stage. But parents should understand whether their children are
working only for ranks and grades or acquiring some wisdom or not. It is important that they
are aware of the purpose of education and how it works in real life. They start maintaining a
structured life.

To an individual, education increases the level of confidence as it makes a person aware about
his/her surroundings. It also helps an individual to communicate better and express his/her
opinions. The mind gets matured by proper education and training. A person can judge what is
right and what is not. Education makes a person independent and helps him abide by the rules
of the land. Education improves the standard of living of the people. It helps people
understand their needs and gives them the way to acquire them. Education provides a
platform for a decent livelihood. One can take up a job in industry or another professional
service if he/she is educated.

Online Education

Education plays the most important role in the life of people. A big piece of new and
necessary information appears every minute. Now-a-days online study or learning turns out to
be more and more practiced. Many universities started to share their courses online for free.

Online education helps to solve the problem of time. It is a great alternative to traditional
universities, especially for people who can’t afford time and money. In addition, distance
learning is chapter and for some people is the best way acquiring new information.

Competition between students can be very stimulating and students will only benefit from it.

Education System In Bangladesh:

1. Primary Education: The Bangladeshi education system is unusually complex in

that primary, middle, senior and tertiary education are oriented towards
general, madresha(religious) or technical / vocational preferences Even
private schools and universities are heavily subsidized – in fact the
constitution decrees that children between ages 6 and 10 shall pay nothing. To
complicate things further, local education is controlled by a hierarchy of
school boards. The first phase, fully free primary school lasts for 5 years,
typically between ages 6 and 10.
 2. Middle Education: Pupils aged approximately 11 years of age enter junior
secondary school. This is a critical phase in their young lives, for here they
must confirm an educational choice that may dictate their futures irrevocably.

3. Secondary Education: Those who choose to complete the last 2 of their 10

school grades at general secondary schools may specialize in humanities,
science or commerce to mention but a few. At the end of this they may write
a secondary school certificate examination supervised by no less than 7 school
boards. Alternatively, they may elect to follow the madrasha religious
education route that culminates in a different series of similar level tests.

4. Tertiary Education: Students who stay either course have choices once again. These
include writing their higher secondary education certificate after 2 more years at a
technical / poly technical institute where they hone their practical skills further.  
Alternatively, they may enter one of many private or state-funded universities for 5
years of undergraduate study. 

Importance of Female Education

Female education is the need of the hour. Without educating the women of the country we
can’t hope for a developed nation. Women play a vital role in the all rounds progress of a
country. If we want to make democracy successful, women must be educated. They are the
real builders of happy home.

It is said that if we educate a man, we educate a man only, but if we educate a women, we
educate whole family members. This highlights the importance of women education.

Advantages of women/female education:

1. Social Development: Education women could be the key to remove many social evils of
Bangladeshi society like, Dowry system, Female infanticide, Workplace, Harassment, Domestic
or Sexual violence etc. An educated women change the future generations.

2. Economical Development: Educating women will definitely lead to the economical

development of the nation as more women join the work force.
3. High-Living-Standard: An educate women will contribute financially for the needs for her
family and relatives. Two earning parents provide better growth prospects for the children as
well as a raised living standard of the family.

4. Self-Reliance: Education is vital for women as it makes women become self-reliant and
eliminates her need to depend on a third person for her and her family’s survival.

5. Improve Health And Hygiene: An educate women recognizes the health hazards to her
family and knows how to deal with them. She knows how to feed and nature her children,
telling them about good and bad hygiene.

Importance of Education in Society

First of all, Education helps in spreading knowledge in society. This is perhaps the most
noteworthy aspect of Education. There is a quick propagation of knowledge in an educated
society. Furthermore, there is a transfer of knowledge from generation to another by
Education.

Education helps in the development and innovation of technology. Most noteworthy, the more
the education, the more technology will spread. Important developments in war
equipment, medicine, computers, take place due to Education.

Conclusion

Society and social structure