Department of Sociology & Anthropology, GUB

(Student’s Assignment)
Semester: Fall 2022

Culture of Bangladesh: A Comprehensive

Report Based on E.B Tylor's Definition of
Culture

Submitted by
Student ID: 192018004

Course Info
Course Title: Bangladesh Studies
Course Code: GED 2001
Course Teacher: Samiul Islam, Asst. Professor

(For Teacher’s use only)

Marks Obtained (out of 10)
Knowledge Skills Attitude
Assignment, Fall 2022 SOC 2001: Bangladesh Studies
Department of Sociology & Anthropology

Culture
The term ‘Culture’ is interpreted in a way that it’s meaning become singing, dancing, acting,
artwork, drawing, or something that represent the tradition of a society. Therefore, if a person,
a family, or an institution practice singing, dancing, or acting, they are called or thought be
‘culturally enriched’. The representing actions or behaviors of a society indeed represent
culture, but culture itself means all these actions and behaviors of all members of that society.
It includes beliefs, rituals, traditions, as well. Culture is defined by English anthropologist Sir
Edward Burnett Tylor as –

Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and
any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.

Belief is at the core of every culture which is expressed through external actions; through art,
morals, law, custom, and other behaviors as per the definition of EB Taylor. He sees it as a
complex whole. Therefore, culture does not only mean some discrete programs, rather it
represents the everyday life of a society.

Culture of Bangladesh

When we talk about culture of Bangladesh, we used to imagine a village where people live in
harmony. We are used to imagine the farmers waring traditional dresses like lungi and t-shirts,
village women in shares, their food habit limited to fish and rice, working in the crop fields and
homes, their houses as small huts, etc. A hundred years ago most people of Bangladesh lived
villages. The it is not the real of current Bangladesh, we still refer the culture of Bangladesh as
the village culture. We still think Jari-Shari, Vatiali, Vawaiya as the mainstream representatives
of our culture.

The cultural characteristics of a society largely depend on the diversity of the natural
environment and the different techniques and materials used to adapt to it. The culture of
Bangladesh is no exception. This culture has some distinctive features that set it apart from
other cultures. However, with the arrival of different nations, the culture of this country has
become a mixture of cultural elements of many societies. All these elements of culture include
language, thought, intellect, knowledge, values, behavior, etc. The culture of Bangladesh has
been enriched and influenced by various cultural elements of the outside world throughout the
ages. Our culture has been transformed into a mixed culture, especially because of the gradual
arrival of foreign powers, aggression, colonial rule, exploitation, and the integration of various

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Assignment, Fall 2022 SOC 2001: Bangladesh Studies
Department of Sociology & Anthropology

cultural elements. Bangalees have become a hybrid nation due to the influx of people (Aryans,
Dravidians, Austrians, Mongols, Afghans, Pathans, Marathi, Persians, Mughals, Sultans,
Portuguese, Dutch, English, etc.) who have come to Bangladesh at different times. It has also
had a significant impact on ideas, values, customs, customs, rituals, art, language, literature,
economics, sociology, etc.

EB Taylor, in his definition of culture, mentioned few of the components of culture which are
the knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and other behaviors. Religious belief is a very
important component of a culture. It shapes the knowledge, thoughts, and most of the customs.
Muslim and other religious communities are coexisting peacefully in this land for more than a
thousand years, yet they did not blend with the others. Most of the religious communities
adopted a common way life other than the religious ritual part. Bangladeshi culture cannot be
said as Muslim culture because of its uniqueness and differences from other Muslim nations.

General lifestyle of the people of all communities have been similar for hundreds of years.
People eat similar foods, grow similar crops, dress similar cloths. They adopted a common
social custom. The trend has been paced more in the recent years. Beliefs of a specific religious
community now play more minor roles in all cultures, so is in Bangladesh. The traditional
village culture is not the dominant culture now. Western influenced urban culture has taken
place of it. Western lifestyle is being adopted even in the remote villages. Western dresses like
jeans, overcoat, etc. are more popular to the younger generations. Fast foods and other nations
foods have taken a large portion of the share of food market. Western songs, art, music, are
being dominant over our traditional ones. Globalization though satellite and internet has played
a major role in this dominance.

Bangladesh has a long history in the filed of literature. The Charyapada, a thousand-year-old
literature, presents the culture of Bangladesh a thousand years ago. Bangla language has been
reformed a lot in these thousand years. Most of the known ancient and medieval rulers
promoted art and literatures. Bangla literature saw its renaissance in the 19th and early 20th
century which brought massive in the culture of Bangladesh. Most of them called for a non-
sectarian Bangalee community which had prevalent later.

Conclusion

The culture of Bangladesh is a congenial one despite having people of different religious
communities. The topography of this land was probably the most important factor in forming

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Assignment, Fall 2022 SOC 2001: Bangladesh Studies
Department of Sociology & Anthropology

the culture of Bangladesh. Mainstream Bangladeshi culture is, therefore, means the culture of
the population in the plains. Bangladesh has a long known history. It’s culture is this highly
enriched. Religious rituals, the cultures of different migrant population added components to
it. The culture of Bangladesh is thus a diverse one.

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