Historically, Bangladesh has earned the reputation of being at the crossroads of many cultures. The ruins of magnificent cities and monuments left behind in many parts of the country by the vanishing dynasties of rulers still bear testimony to the richness of its cultural heritage. Bangladesh has always been known as a land full of nature’s bounties as evident from the vast expanses of its lush crop fields, borderland hills thickly covered with virgin forests and innumerable rivers and

their tributaries, making it the world’s largest delta. Ancient chroniclers have described it as “a land of emerald and silver”, “a garden fit for kings”, or as “a paradise among countries”. It is no wonder then that this country has always attracted settlers, traders, and conquerors who turned the land into a vast melting pot of diverse races and cultures.

Despite destruction caused by natural calamities, ever-changing courses of turbulent rivers, heavy high humidity, fast growing vegetation and expanding population, scattered throughout the country are countless ancient monuments and antiquities. Excavations at Paharpur, Vasu-Bihar, Mahasthan, Sitakot, Mainamati, and other ancient sites together with research have greatly helped enrich knowledge about the country’s early history.

In the absence of stone in the region, most of the ancient monuments and buildings were built with highly perishable mud, bamboo, reed or timber or with durable burnt bricks and mudmortar. It is, however, no small irony that whatever of these monuments that were spared by nature were vandalized by waves of conquerors and treasure-hunters.

Festivals

Anniversaries, Fairs and Festivals form a vital part in the social life of ordinary Bangladeshis. The biggest religious festival is Eid-ul-Fitr. Other Muslim Festivals include Eid-ul-Azha, Eid-e-Mialdunnabi, Muharram and shab-e-Barat. Widely celebrated festivals of other communities include Durga Puja of the Hindus, Christmas of the Christians and Buddha Purnima of the Buddhists. Among the non-religious anniversaries, Bengali New Year (Pahela Baishakh, on 14 April), Language Martyrs’ Day (on 21 February, now also called International Mother Language Day), Independence and National Day (26 March), National Revolution and Solidarity Day (7 November), and Victory Day (16 December) are celebrated nationwide.

Art

Classical forms of Indo-Iranian and South Indian origin have been adopted in Bangladeshi dance as an art form. In ballets, folk forms and themes also abound. Limited practice of folk, tribal and social dances are also in vogue. Among the tribal dances, the Monipuri and Santal are best-known. Institutions like the Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts and the shilpakal Academy have helped popularize dance dramas and other forms of Performing Arts. Music in Bangladesh can be divided into three distinct categories – classical, folk and modern. Classical music, both vocal and instrumental, is rooted in the subcontinental tradition refined during early Turkish rule in the
sub-Himalayan region. Folk music, nurtured through the ages by village poets and mendicants,
are rich in devotional mysticism and love-lore. The best known forms are Bhatiali, Baul, Marfati,
Murshidi and Bhawaiya. Modern Bengali Music has blended Western and Middle-eastern traits
with traditional forms. Bangla songs are particularly rich in lyrics, with famous poets contributing to their subtlety both in words and tunes. Contemporary music and orchestration has a marked influence of the West. Welcoming the spring with music and dance. A painting by Qamrul Hassan Islamic Calligraphy Rabindranath Tagore and National poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. Bangladesh poets, essayists, short story writers, playwrights, and novelists have contributed significantly to enriching the Bangla language and literature. Their works are gradually becoming known to the wider world through translations into various languages.