Explain the role of culture, cultural diversity, religion, language and festivals in Bangladesh
Answers
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. Cultural aspects measured are perceptions of a country's heritage, its contemporary cultural "vibes" from music, films, art and literature, as well as the country's excellence in sports. Various cultural activities are presented to respondents to gauge their strongest images of a country's cultural "product" Introduction:
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Explanation:
Languages in Bangladesh
The official language is Bangla, also known as Bengali:
Bangla is the first language of more than 98 percent of the population. It is written in its own script, derived from that of Sanskrit. Some people in Bangladesh can also speak English as well as Hindi and Urdu.
Bangla vocabulary shows many influences. These include a strong Islamic influence seen in the greetings of "Salaam aleykum" (Peace be unto you) and "Khoda hafez" (God Bless you) and nouns from the Arab world such as "dokan" (shop), "tarikh"(date), "kolom"(pen) and "bonduk" (gun).
In West Bengal, the Hindu influence is greater with the use of the Hindu greeting "Namashkar".
English has also had an influence on Bangla. During the days of the Raj many words of English origin such as "tebil" (table), "tiffin" (archaic in modern day English meaning snack box) entered Bangla. In more recent time the ever rising global nature of English has led to words such as "television", "telephone", "video" and "radio" being adopted by Bangla. However, unlike India, there has never been the need for English as a lingua franca and thus Bangla is the state language of Bangladesh.
In the business setting, most Bangladeshis are able to speak English.
Bangladeshi Culture & Society
Hierarchy
Bangladesh is a hierarchical society.
People are respected because of their age and position.
Older people are naturally viewed as wise and are granted respect.
Bangladeshis expect the most senior male, by age or position, to make decisions that are in the best interest of the group. This is also valid in businesses, the majority of which will be family owned/run.
In a business setting, educational qualifications, seniority and expertise go a long way to increasing one’s position within the hierarchy. As such, you should include your qualifications on your business card and ensure that your Bangladeshi counterparts are aware of your expertise. You should do so, however, in a way that won’t be construed as ‘boastful’.
Religion
The majority of Bangladeshis are Muslim. However, the Islamic religion is often heavily mixed with pre-Islam folk traditions.
Bangladeshis identify with the folk traditions of Bengali culture. This includes belief in shamanism and the powers of Fakirs (Muslim holy men who are exorcists and faith healers), Ojhaa (shamins with magical healing powers), and Bauls (religious mendicants and wandering musicians).
There is a strong tradition of music, dance, and literature that includes classical devotions of Hindu and Muslim music.
Religion plays an incredibly important role in Bangladesh and it’s important that you never under-estimate its influences. Religion shapes many areas of Bangladeshi culture and, many Bangladeshis prioritise their religious identity over their national identity.
However, it’s also important to note that Bangladeshis practice a tolerant form of Islam and are generally very accepting of non Muslims.
If you are going to work in Bangladesh, or with Bangladeshi people, then it’s a good idea to develop an understanding of some of the more important principles of Islam.
Festivals
Islam defines many of the festivals in Bangaldesh. These include the two Eids (one after Ramadan and one after the Hajj) Shab-e-Qadr (the night of power), Milad un-Nabi (birth date of the Prophet Muhammad) and Shab-e-Barat (the night of the fortune).
Hindu influences festivals include Durga Puja and Kali Puja (community worshipping of Goddess Durga and Kali).
On the whole an entire community participates in each other's religious ceremonies.
Customs and Etiquette in Bangladesh
Meeting & Greeting
Greetings usually take place between members of the same sex.
The hand shake is common although they may feel rather limp.
Formal introductions between the genders outside of the family will only really happen within the business context. If you are meeting with a member of the opposite sex, then wait to see if they will offer you their hand before venturing to offer your own. If they don’t offer you their hand, then consider placing your right hand over your heart and giving a slight nod of your head. This is a perfectly acceptable way to meet and greet within Bangladesh and is also a common practice across other Muslim majority countries..
The traditional greeting for Muslims is Asalamu alaikum to which the response is wa alaikum salam.
Naming conventions are very much based on the hierarchical nature of Bangladeshi society.
Bangladeshis will append a suffix to a person's name to denote respect and the level of closeness between the two people.
It is common for people to use kinship titles within their community, regardless of whether there is a formal blood tie. If someone interacts with someone slightly older than them, then they may refer to them as big sister, or, big brother. If someone is a generation older, then they may be referred to as aunty or uncle.
In general, age dictates how people are addressed.
If people are of the same age, they use first names.