Banglaimge Travel

BANGLADESH

History

Medieval European geographers located paradise at the mouth of the Ganges and although this was overhopeful, Bengal was probably the wealthiest part of the subcontinent up until the 16th century. The area's early history featured a succession of Indian empires, internal squabbling, and a tussle between Hinduism and Buddhism for dominance. All of this was just a prelude to the unstoppable tide of Islam which washed over northern India at the end of the 12th century. Mohammed Bakhtiar, from Turkistan, captured Bengal in 1199 with only 20 men thanks to an unexplained 'bold and clever strategy'.

Under the Moghul viceroys, art and literature flourished, overland trade expanded and Bengal was opened to world maritime trade - the latter marking the death knell of Moghul power as Europeans began to establish themselves in the region. The Portuguese arrived as early as the 15th century but were ousted in 1633 by local opposition. The East India Company negotiated terms to establish a fortified trading post in Kolkata in 1690. The decline of Moghul power led to greater provincial autonomy, heralding the rise of the independent dynasty of the nawabs of Bengal. Humble East India Company clerk Robert Clive ended up effectively ruling Bengal when one of the impetuous nawabs attacked the thriving British enclave in Kolkata and stuffed those unlucky enough not to escape in an underground cellar. Clive retook Kolkata a year later and the British Government replaced the East India Company following the Indian Mutiny in 1857.

The Brits established an organisational and social structure unparalleled in Bengal, and Kolkata became one of the most important centres for commerce, education and culture in the subcontinent. However, many Bangladeshi historians blame the Brits' dictatorial agricultural policies and promotion of the semi-feudal zamindar system for draining the region of its wealth and damaging its social fabric. The British presence was a relief to the minority Hindus but a catastrophe for the Muslims. The Hindus cooperated with the Brits, entering British educational institutions and studying the English language, but the Muslims refused to cooperate, and rioted whenever crops failed or another local product was rendered unprofitable by government policy.

At the close of WWII it was clear that Indian independence was inevitable. It was attained in 1947 but the struggle was bitter and divisive, especially in Bengal where the fight for self-government was complicated by internal religious conflict. The British, realising any agreement between the Muslims and Hindus was impossible, decided to partition the subcontinent, but Bengal and Punjab, the two overwhelmingly Muslim regions, lay on opposite sides of India. The situation was complicated in Bengal where the major cash crop, jute, was produced in the Muslim-dominated east, but processed and shipped from the Hindu-dominated city of Kolkata in the west.

East Bengal became the runt state of East Pakistan. It was administered unfavourably from West Pakistan, with which it shared few similarities apart from the Muslim faith. Inequalities between the two regions soon stirred up a sense of Bengali nationalism that had not been reckoned with during the push for Muslim independence. When the Pakistan government declared that 'Urdu and only Urdu' would be the national language, the Bangla-speaking Bengalis decided it was time to assert themselves. The language issue quickly became a self-government issue. When the Awami League, a nationalist party, won a majority in the 1971 national elections, the president of Pakistan, faced with this unacceptable result, postponed opening the National Assembly. Riots and strikes broke out in East Pakistan, the independent state of Bangladesh was unilaterally announced, and Pakistan sent troops to quell the rebellion.

The ensuing war was one of the shortest and bloodiest of modern times, with the Pakistan army occupying all major towns, using napalm against villages, and slaughtering and raping villagers. Bangladeshis refer to Pakistan's brutal tactics as attempted genocide. Border clashes between Pakistan and India increased as Indian-trained Bangladeshi guerrillas crossed the border. When the Pakistani air force made a pre-emptive attack on Indian forces, open warfare ensued. Indian troops crossed the border and the Pakistani army found itself being attacked from the east by the Indian army, the north and east by guerrillas and from all quarters by the civilian population. In 11 days it was all over and Bangladesh, the world's 139th country, officially came into existence. Sheikh Mujib, one of the founders of the Awami League, became the country's first prime minister in January 1972; he was assassinated in 1975 during a period of crisis.

The ruined and decimated new country experienced famine in 1973-74, followed by martial law, successive military coups and political assassinations. In 1979 Bangladesh began a short-lived experiment with democracy led by the overwhelmingly popular President Zia, who established good relationships with the West and the oil-rich Islamic countries. His assassination in 1981 ultimately returned the country to a military government that periodically made vague announcements that elections would be held 'soon'. While these announcements were rapturously greeted by the local press as proof that Bangladesh was indeed a democracy, nothing came of them until 1991. That year the military dictator General Ershad was forced to resign by an unprecedented popular movement led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Awami League.

In 1991 democracy was re-established and Begum Khaleda Zia became prime minister. The economy ticked along at a healthy growth rate, and ties with the West were strengthened. By 1994, however, many Bangladeshis had become disenchanted with the Zia government. Some promised reforms hadn't materialised, police violence was on the rise, lawlessness was still a problem and corruption remained endemic. The opposition called for mass general strikes.

A 1996 general election was widely boycotted and the legitimacy of the return of the Zia government was suspect. On 30 March Zia stood down under pressure and elections, generally seen as free and fair, were won by Sheikh Hasina Wazed of the Awami League.

The wheel turned in October 2001, when the Bangladesh Nationalist Party won the parliamentary elections and Zia was sworn in as prime minister. The government in the last few years has pushed through some social reforms aimed at improving the lives of women, such as making acid attacks punishable by death.

A series of bombings of political and religious gatherings continues to puzzle authorities. Although the major parties blame each other, extremist Islamic groups may also be a factor.

Full country name: People's Republic of Bangladesh
Area: 143,998 sq km
Population: 138.44 million
People: 98% Bengali, 250,000 Bihari, tribals less than 1 million
Language: Bengali, English
Religion: 83% Islam, 16% Hindu
Government: parliamentary democracy
Head of State: President Iajuddin Ahmed
Head of Government: Prime Minister Khaleda Zia

GDP: US$175.5 billion
GDP per capita: US$1,380
Annual Growth: 4%
Inflation: 7%
Major Industries: Jute manufacturing, cotton textiles, food processing, steel, fertilizer, rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, beef, milk, poultry
Major Trading Partners: Western Europe, US, Hong Kong, Japan, India, China, Singapore

Culture

The Bengal region has a multifaceted folk heritage, enriched by its ancient animist, Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim roots. Weaving, pottery and terracotta sculpture are some of the earliest forms of artistic expression. The best known literature of Bangladesh is the work of the great Bengali poets Rabindranath Tagore and Nazrul Islam, though these giants have been overshadowed recently by the furore over the writings of Taslima Nasrin, who has received death threats from Muslim fundamentalists for her outspoken critiques of Islam's oppression of women. Folk theatre is common at the village level and usually takes place during harvest time or at melas (village fairs). There are many folk dances, but classical dance is largely borrowed from Indian models and is frowned upon by the more severe religious leaders.

Bangladesh's Muslims and Hindus live in relative harmony. The Muslim majority has religious leaders, pirs , whose status straddles the gap between that of a bishop and that of a sage. Hinduism in Bangladesh lacks the pomp and awe of the Indian version, but consequently Hindu ceremonies are rarely conducted in the depths of temples to which access is restricted. People here are very willing for you to watch and even participate. Buddhists today form only a tiny minority of the population. It's worth noting that the Bangladeshi pride in ancestry is balanced by the Islamic slant of the country's intellectual life which tends to deny the achievements of the preceding Hindu and Buddhist cultures.

A typical Bangladeshi meal consists of beef (or sometimes mutton, chicken, fish or egg) and vegetables cooked in a hot spicy sauce with mustard-oil, yellow watery lentils ( dal ) and plain rice. Fish is part of the staple diet; however, over-fishing has led to a scarcity of river fish and more sea fish are appearing on menus. Alcoholic drinks are not widely available; head for five-star hotels and ritzier restaurants when you want a tipple.

Environment

Bangladesh is nestled in the crook of the Bay of Bengal, surrounded by India. It shares a border in the south-east with Myanmar and fronts onto the Bay of Bengal. The country is flat, flat, flat, and dominated by the braided strands of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Jamuna delta. Where Bangladesh ends and the sea begins is a murky zone of shifting sediments, watercourses, flood waters and silt. Over 90% of the country is composed of alluvial plains less than 10m above sea level, making it an inviting proposition to flood-prone rivers and tidal waves. The only relief from these low-lying plains occurs in the northeast and southeast corners where modest hills rise to an average height of around 240m (787ft) and 600m (1970ft) respectively.

Roughly two-thirds of Bangladesh is fertile arable land and a little over 10% remains forested. The country is home to the Royal Bengal tiger, leopards, Asiatic elephants (mostly migratory herds from Bihar), and a few remaining black bears. There are also plenty of monkeys, langurs, gibbons (the only ape on the subcontinent), otters and mongooses. Reptiles include the sea tortoise, mud turtle, river tortoise, pythons, crocodiles and a variety of bloody unpleasant poisonous snakes. There are more than 600 species of birds: the best known is the mynah but the most spectacular are the kingfishers and fishing eagles.

The climate of Bangladesh is subtropical and tropical with the mercury ranging from an average daytime temperature of 21°C (70°F) in the cold season to 35°C (95°F) in the hot season. Bangladesh has three main seasons: the monsoon or 'wet' season from late May to early October; the 'cold' season from mid-October to the end of February; and the 'hot' season (known in Bangladesh as the 'little rainy season') from mid-March to mid-May. There is also a 'cyclone season' - May to June and October to November.

Facts for the Traveler

Visas: Bangladesh visas are valid for six months from the date of issue and are good for stays of one or three months.
Health risks: cholera, hepatitis, malaria, meningococcal meningitis
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +6
Dialling Code: 880
Electricity: 220V ,50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric

When to Go

The best time to visit Bangladesh is in the cold season, from October to February, when the weather is dry and fresh. Avoid April when humidity and heat gang up to make conditions intolerable.

Events

Muslim festivals follow a lunar calendar. Ramadan is a month-long period of fasting. The date changes with the moon, and moves on about 11 days with each year that passes. At the full moon 14 days before the start of Ramadan, Shab-e-Barat is a sacred night when alms and sweets are distributed to the poor. Hindu festivals follow a different calendar but they generally fall on much the same date each year. The Holi Festival or Festival of Colours, commonly known as the spring festival, is celebrated in the first week of March. Durga Puja is celebrated during October, and statues of the goddess astride a lion, with her ten hands holding ten different weapons, are placed in every Hindu temple.

Money & Costs

Currency: Taka

Bangladesh is a very cheap country to travel if you're prepared to travel on a budget, but the quality of budget food, accommodation and travel is low. It's possible to average US$4 a day if you go 2nd class on trains, travel on local buses, stay in the cheapest of hotels with shared bathroom and no air-con and eat at the very cheapest restaurants. If you want to escape nerve-shattering buses and reduce your risk of stomach bugs, US$10-15 a day will get you a decent hotel room with its own bathroom, a couple of good meals a day and first-class train travel. If you want to spend big, it's possible, but there isn't a huge range of top-end accommodation or restaurants outside Dhaka.

Cash and travellers cheques in US dollars are preferred by banks to British pounds. Outside Dhaka and Chittagong you'll have problems changing pounds. Credit cards are widely accepted at hotels, guesthouses and restaurants in Dhaka and Chittagong, but virtually nowhere else. Amex users can get a cash advance with their card.

A tip, or baksheesh , seems to be demanded in almost every exchange, except in the more isolated rural areas. In restaurants, Bangladeshis almost never tip, but waiters may expect a 5% tip in Dhaka restaurants frequented by foreigners. Most transactions require bargaining, which is considered a normal part of life in Bangladesh. A rule of thumb is to offer about half the original price and work up. It's worth remembering that a few extra taka are likely to help your bargaining adversary more than they'll hurt you.

Attractions

Dhaka

The intriguing capital city of Bangladesh sits on the north bank of the bustling Buriganga River, roughly in the centre of the country. The oldest section of the city runs along the north bank of the waterfront and was developed when Dhaka was a significant Moghul trading centre.

Dhaka's premier attraction is Lalbagh Fort, an unfinished fort dating from 1678 located in the Old City. The National Museum is north of the Old City in the old European zone known as Modern City. It has fascinating displays of Bangladesh's Hindu, Buddhist and Moghul past, art and handicrafts.

Chittagong

The second largest city in Bangladesh sits on the bank of the Karnapuli River and has an interesting old waterfront area known as Sadarghat that reflects the importance of river trade to the city's growth. Nearby is the old Portuguese enclave of Paterghatta which remains mostly Christian.

The Shahi Jama-e-Masjid and Qadam Mubarak Mosque are two of the most impressive buildings in the city. The Ethnological Museum, in the Modern City, has interesting displays on Bangladesh's tribal peoples, while Fairy Hill in the northwestern part of the city offers good views and cooling breezes.

Cox's Bazar

Bangladesh's only beach resort is near the Myanmar border in an area where Rohingya refugees have settled to escape persecution in Myanmar. It has a Burmese Buddhist flavour and ever increasing amenities to service the visitors attracted by its enormous expanse of shark-free beach.

Even modestly clad bathers, especially females, should expect to be gawked at by locals. South of Cox's Bazar are more secluded beaches such as Himacheri and Inani where having a swim can still be a private experience. Note that the beaches are not considered entirely safe at night.

Mainimati Ruins

Famous as an important centre of Buddhist culture from the 7th to 12th centuries, the buildings excavated here were made wholly of baked bricks. There are more than 50 scattered Buddhist sites, but the three most important are Salban Vihara, Kotila Mura and Charpatra Mura.

Salban Vihara was a well-planned, 170 sq m (182 sq ft) monastery facing a temple in the centre of the courtyard. Nearby is a museum housing the finds excavated here, which include terracotta plaques, bronze statues, a bronze casket, coins, jewellery and votive stupas embossed with Buddhist inscriptions.

Kotila Mura comprises three large stupas representing Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, the 'Three Jewels of Buddhism'. The most important discovery at Charpatra Mura were four royal copper-plate decrees, three belonging to Chandra rulers, the other to Sri Viradhara Deva, a later Hindu king.

Note that some of the major ruins are within a military cantonment and cannot be visited without permission from military officers.

Somapuri Vihara

The 8th-century Somapuri Vihara at Paharpur was formerly the biggest Buddhist monastery south of the Himalaya. It's by far the most impressive archaeological site in Bangladesh, and covers some 11 hectares (27 acres).

Although in an advanced state of decay, the overall plan of the temple complex is easy to figure out and includes a large quadrangle with the monks' cells forming the walls and enclosing a courtyard. From the centre of the courtyard rises the 20m (66ft) high remains of a stupa which dominates the surrounding countryside.

The monastery's recessed walls are embellished with well-preserved terracotta bas-reliefs, and a small museum houses a representative display of the domestic and religious objects found during excavations.

Sundarbans National Park

The Sundarbans are the largest littoral mangrove belt in the world, stretching 80km (50mi) into the Bangladeshi hinterland from the coast. The forests aren't just mangrove swamps though, they include some of the last remaining stands of the mighty jungles which once covered the Gangetic plain.

The Sundarbans cover an area of 38,500 sq km (14,865 sq mi), of which about one-third is covered in water. Since 1966 the Sundarbans have been a wildlife sanctuary, and it is estimated that there are now 400 Royal Bengal tigers and about 30,000 spotted deer in the area. The park is also home to sea gypsy fishing families who catch fish using trained otters. To see this pristine environment, you need to get a permit from the Divisional Forest Office in Khulna. With permit in hand, it's possible to hire a boat from Mongla or Dhangmari to get you to Hiron Point. From Hiron Point you will have to hire a guide to take you into the park.

Off the Beaten Track

Chittagong Hill Tracts

Untypical of Bangladesh in topography and culture, the Chittagong Hill Tracts have steep jungle hills, Buddhist tribal peoples and low density population. The tracts are about 60km (37mi) east of Chittagong, and if it weren't for the troubles in the region they would be an idyllic place to visit.

The region is a mass of hills, ravines and cliffs covered with dense jungle. It has four main valleys formed by the Karnapuli, Feni, Shangu and Matamuhur rivers. Unfortunately, the region is not entirely safe because of military operations to subdue the tribes' Shanti Bahini (Peace Army).

Puthia

Puthia has the largest number of historically important Hindu structures in Bangladesh. The most amazing of the village's monuments is the Govinda Temple, which was erected between 1823 and 1895 by one of the maharanis of the Puthia estate.

It's a large square structure crowned by a set of miniature ornamental towers. It's covered by incredibly intricate designs in terracotta depicting scenes from Hindu epics, which give it the appearance of having been draped by a huge red oriental carpet.

St Martin Island

This small coral island about 10km (6mi) southwest of the southern tip of the mainland is a tropical cliche, with beaches fringed with coconut palms and bountiful marine life. Until recently there was nothing more strenuous to do here than soak up the rays.

But as the island's tourist potential is becoming recognised a new diving business has opened. It's possible to walk around the island in a day because it measures only 8 sq km (3 sq mi), shrinking to about 5 sq km (2 sq mi) during high tide.

Activities

If you feel like taking part in a bit of neighbourhood rough and tumble, the most popular games are cricket, soccer and badminton - there are floodlit village badminton courts everywhere, and if you can play you'll have no problem meeting people (if you're a guy, that is). Keen boaters should visit the Sunderbans, where rowboats are the only way to get around the majority of this mangrove national park.