People in Bangladesh

Introduction to People in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is found to be the eighth-most populated country, and the citizens of this country are called Bangladeshis. Bangladeshi citizenship was initially established in 1972 with the region of East Pakistan being converted into a new republic nation. The majority of Bangladeshis are Indo-Aryan, and their population is usually found in the Bengal delta. This region was considered the main centre populated with different ethnicities in the country.

The country is home to various minorities, including Garo, Santhali, and Marwari. Most of the population of Bangladesh are Muslims, while the country also has other minorities such as Hindus and Tibeto-Burman Chakmas. The Austroasiatic Santhals are considered the largest community that did not originate in the country.

Bangladeshis

The term Bangladeshis originated after the country’s independence in 1972. This is the term typically employed for referring to the people of Bangladesh. Between 1972 and 1978, they were called Bangalees.

•  The identity was implemented by the constitution of Bangladesh under President Ziaur Rahman.
• The change in terminology was done to propagate Bangladeshi nationalism.

Demographics of Bangladesh

Religious ethnicity

The region belonging to Bengal was occupied initially by people belonging to various groups, including the Indo-Aryan, Tibeto-Burman, and Austroasiatic. The country has a population of about 166,303,498 per the latest estimation. About 13 million citizens of Bangladesh were found to live in other countries. The majority of the people (86.6%) are Muslims. About 12.15% of the population is found to be Hindus. The country also has people following Christianity and Buddhism.

Major Tribes

Numerous indigenous tribes coexist in Bangladesh. The Chittagong Hill Tracts are the birthplace of many such tribes. The main tribes include the Chakma, Marma, and Mro. Bawm, Khumi, Tanchangya, Kuki, Garo, Santhal, Marwari, and Rakhine.

• The Garo people are usually found in the Haluaghat Upazila. They are found to have a high literacy rate, and most are Christians. They belong to one of the matrilineal societies and they are considered a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group.
• Marwari is a small minority thriving in the various cities of the country. Most of the Marwari people are merchants.
• The Santhal people are the major community that did not originate in Bangladesh.  The majority of the Santhal population is found in Rangpur and Rajshabi divisions.  They are praised for their martial dance forms. 
•  The Barisal division holds the Arakanese Rakhine community. This region belongs to the southern part of Bangladesh.

Tribal lifestyle

The tribal population of Bangladesh consists of about 1 million people, or 1% of the total population. They are mainly distributed in the Chittagong hills. Numerous tribes live in rural regions and practise shifting cultivation.

The tribes vary in social organisation, death and birth rites, food, and various social customs. They can be identified with the dialects they use. Chakmas, who live in the highland valleys, are considered the biggest tribe. MChakmas practice Buddhism, and some of them are Hindus.

Societies of Bangladesh

Different societies exist in Bangladesh. The societies are differentiated into urban and rural. The rural community of Bangladesh is found to encompass a patrilineally widened community locally called Chula. About 34% of the population resides in the cities. Dhaka is found to be the largest city in the country. The population in the cities rose during the 1980s because of the administrative decentralisation program.

The Garo people are known for jhum cultivation, and they mainly rely on nature. The rural regions of Bangladesh mainly rely on farming, while the younger generations from these regions tend to migrate to towns and cities in search of other professions. Rising incomes, better education, and different jobs have not solved the problems of rural poverty.

Culture

Various social societies have impacted the culture of the Bangladeshi people. The official language spoken by Bangladeshis is Bengali, written in Brahmi script. It was formed from Magadhi Prakrit. Apabhramsa is usually employed for writing this language. The formation of Bangladeshi identity was credited to the Bengali language movement that originated in East Pakistan.

The country is praised for its cultural pluralism, as they have a Muslim majority. An important contributor to the ethos and society of the nation is found to be the traditional Bengali secularism. The language itself is one of the most prominent features of their identity.

Islam was fixed as the state religion in the country. The government provides the freedom of religion and protection to the minority population. Various controversies threatened the relationship between the state and religion after independence.

There exist various other minority languages in Bangladesh, including Garo, Chakma, Marma, and Santhali. The use of surnames differs for various communities:

•  The Hindu community of the country usually employs Bengali surnames that are Sanskritised.
• Most Christians use Portuguese surnames.
• The Buddhists mainly use Tibeto-Burman, along with Bengali surnames.

Conclusion

The citizens of Bangladesh are called Bangladeshis, and this identity is mainly credited to the Bengali language they speak. The country possesses both rural and urban societies. Most of the population are Muslim, where about 1% of the total population are tribes. There exist various tribes in the country, including Garo, Shanthal, Marwari, and various others. The Bengali language movement played an important role in developing the identity of the citizens of Bangladesh.