Bangladesh Studies

(GED 104)
Location
The majority
(approximately
300,000 people)
are located in
the Chittagong
Hill Tracts of
Bangladesh
Is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Chakma and Daingnet people. The language has
common features with other languages in the region like the Chittagonian, Tanchangya,
Arakanese and others.
The Chakmas are Buddhists. Chakmas officially follow the Southern, or Theravada,
form of the Buddhism. But, their form of Buddhism has aspects of Hinduism and
traditional religions as well.
Almost every Chakma village has a Buddhist temple (kaang). Buddhist priests or
monks are called Bhikhus. They preside at religious festivals and ceremonies. The
villagers support their monks with food, gifts, and offerings to Buddha.
The three-day festival known as Bishu, which coincides with the Bengali New Year's
Day, is celebrated with much enthusiasm. Houses are decorated with flowers, young
children pay special attention to the elderly to win their blessings, and festive dishes
are prepared for guests. Festivals Celebrates by Chakmas.
Chakmas greet each other with the traditional cry, Hoya! This exuberant shout is also
used to express pleasure at victory in sports such as tug-of-war that accompany the
numerous hill festivals held throughout the year. After living for so many years near
Muslims, some Chakmas use the Muslim greeting, Salaam.
Chakma men have given up their traditional clothes for Western-style shirts and trousers. It is
the women who maintain the traditional Chakma style of dress, which consists of two pieces of
cloth. One is worn as a skirt, wrapped around the lower part of the body and extending from
waist to ankle. Its traditional color is black or blue, with a red border at top and bottom.
The staple food of the Chakmas is rice, supplemented by millet, corn (maize), vegetables,
and mustard. Vegetables include yams, pumpkins, melons, and cucumbers. Vegetables
and fruit gathered from the forest may be added to the diet. Fish, poultry, and meat (even
pork) are eaten, despite the Buddhist taboo on consuming animal flesh.
The Garos, who call themselves A•chiks are a native Tibeto-Burman ethnic
group from the Indian subcontinent, notably found in the beautiful hilly north
eastern Indian states of Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, and
neighbouring areas of Bangladesh.
Garo belong to Tibeto-Burman language family and speak Sino-Tibetan
language in India and mainly in the Garo Hills districts of Meghalaya, some
parts of Assam, and in small areas in Tripura.
Most Garos who have adopted and now Christians, with the majority belonging
to the Garo Baptist Convention as well as smaller numbers of Roman Catholics,
and also some Seventh-day Adventists and Anglicans.
Wangala is traditionally celebrated for two to three days or up to a week - by
two or three collaborating villages; though recently it has been celebrated for
one day in metropolitan areas as an attempt to conserve the ancient heritage of
the Garo tribe and to expose the younger generation to their roots
The Garo people eat millets, maize, tapioca, etc. and the staple food of the Garos is
rice. Garos are very choosy in their food habits. They keep goats, pigs, fowls, ducks,
etc. and cut these animals and eat their meat and also eat other wild animal like deer,
bison, wild pigs, etc. Fish, prawns, crabs, eels and dry fish also are a part of their food
Traditional Dresses of Garo Tribe consists of Eking, Turban, Kotip, Nadongbi nr sisha,
Natapsi and Ripok. They are inhabitants of Meghalaya. Colourful dresses can be seen in
this place for both men and women. Garo tribes are the experienced and talented
weavers in this region. Most of the families earn their livelihood from weaving.
The Manipuri people are of Mongolian descent and speak a language called Meithei.
Most Manipuri people lived in northeastern India. The Manipuri fled from their
homeland in the northeastern Indian kingdom of Manipur to settle in East Bengal, which
was then ruled by Britain.
Most Manipuris now live in Sylhet town and its suburbs, and KAMALGANJ,
SREEMANGAL, KULAURA , and BARLEKHA thanas of MAULVI BAZAR district;
CHUNARUGHAT thana of HABIGANJ district, and CHHATAK thana of
SUNAMGANJ district.
Meitei Lon or Manipuri language, the mother tongue of the Manipuri people, belongs to
the Kuki-Chin group of the Tibeto-Burman sub-family of the Mongolian family of
languages. Manipuri literature is very old. It has a rich and variegated history and
traditions
The Manipuri are very religious people and are believed to have converted to Hinduism
in the sixteenth century. However, elements of their pre-Hindu religion remain today.
They worship the Hindu gods but also worship many other gods of nature- the snake
being one of them
Dance and music seem to be inextricably linked with the life of Manipuri people. Among
these, Manipuri dance is the richest in Manipuri culture. Manipuri dance is called
Lashya. Softness and modesty are the hallmarks of Manipur dance. There are also
frames for Manipuri dance.
In contrast to the flat plains of Bangladesh, the district of Sylhet is characterized by
rolling hills and is famous for its tea plantations and lush tropical forests. Most of the
Manipuri people are farmers and they have succeeded in growing crops of rice,
sugarcane, tobacco, oranges, and pineapples. The Manipuri, according to their custom,
do not eat meat, but they do eat fish.