Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)

COUNTRY REPORT: BANGLADESH
Governmental Mechanism for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Introduction:
Bangladesh emerged as an independent sovereign nation in 1971.Thus, compared to many countries of the present day it is quite young. Nevertheless it is the home of an ancient civilization. Relics of old civilization and culture are evident all over the country, some of them with worldwide significance. The deep-rooted socio-cultural heritage of Bangladesh reflects a distinct mode of living and a rich aesthetic past.

National Culture & Heritage

Introduction :
Bangladesh is a small country with a rich cultural heritage. It is not only the Bangalis (plains people) who have contributed to this culture, but also the several hundred tribal communities of the country who live mainly in the Hill areas of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, in the Districts of Dinajpur, Rajshahi, Sylhet and the plains forests in Dhaka, Tangail, Mymensingh and Jamalpur. Unfortunately, through out the modern history of the country, successive governments have carried out successive re-settlement programmes, ousting the tribal populace from their settlements and agricultural land and bringing in Bangalis from the plain lands. This has happened in both the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and in the Madhupur forests of Mymensingh. However, it is not only re-settlement which disrupts tribal life.