.

1. Historical Remaining and Culture of
Bangladesh
Rubina Rafat Chaity
Architect and Lecturer, Inspiration Institute of Design & Technology
Bangladesh

2. “Culture and heritage are not about stones and buildings – they are
about identities and belongings. They carry values from the past that
are important for the societies today and tomorrow. We must
safeguard the heritage because it is what brings us together as a
community; it is what binds us within a shared destiny.”
Introduction

3. •Culture is that the
image of the whole lifetime of nature.
•The standard of the living & chore is the possessor of
cultural customs.
•Main components of these cultures are an acquaintance,
belief, schooling, language, ritual, laws etc. things that
facilitate man/woman to make in within the society as a
member of a realm.
What is Culture??

4. Cultural Heritage
Cultural heritage refers to the cultural aspects like
• heritage sites,
•monuments,
•folklore,
• traditional activities and practices
• language etc.
that are considered vital to be preserved for future
generations.

6. Amidst the
Jainism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism,
Bangladesh has its own distinct cultural identity greatly influenced by the neighboring regions.
These variations are often seen in
traditional knowledge, literature, music, social group dances,
festivities, and even in modern pop songs.
Its culture is also based on the custom and measure of rural life as well, as for
decades Bangladesh has been an agricultural society.
Evolution of Bangladeshi Culture

7. • The background of the culture of Bangladesh is assorted.
Pre-Aryans were the original residents of this region. Hence later, they were inclined by
Aryan thoughts.
•The ingredients of the Muslim culture of Turkey, Arab, Iran, and Middle-Asia
have also created a vast effect on Bangladeshi culture.
•Finally, a special cultural movement was set with the arrival of the Europeans
particularly English people.
•In course of time, culture slowly but surely developed with the spirit of different other
cultures, It is needed to take resort to foreigners to go in depth
of cultural background.
Background of Bangladeshi Culture

8. Archaeology of Bangladesh: Background History
•Archaeological heritage facilitates a lot to be enriched with cultural
diversity.
•There has been a rich human settlement in this state from prehistoric periods.
•The archaeological practice was first commenced by the British colonial rule in
the state.
•Bangladesh used to be a part of British India, before 1947.
•They felt the requirement of learning the history, culture, custom, and
society of the present ruling country and this way the archaeological practice
began in this region in 1757 when the British rule was established in Bengal.

9. Archaeology of Bangladesh: Background History
•After the partition in 1947, East Pakistan (Bangladesh)has also gained the freedom
and introduced as an independent country by gaining the victory from West Pakistan (Pakistan)
in 1971.
•In terms of cultural and geographical features, both of these countries were very
different. However, a new department named Directorate of Archaeology;
Pakistan had been established before the freedom war in 1971 for the conservation
and discovery of archeological sites.
• Plentiful discoveries and excavations in quite a lot of sites countrywide were
conducted by this directorate and discovered several Buddhist temples,
Bihar and Inscriptions.
• New excavations at Mahasthan took part by this directorate in the 1960s.

10. The Buddhists largely occupied the continent, and the Buddhist impact did not go
away as the Hindus overtaken them, and as the Muslims replaced the Hindu
dictators, the Hindu influence persisted.
The tapestry thus further developed the source of Bangladeshi
culture's individuality.
Archaeology of Bangladesh: Background History

11. Early Monumental Architecture
The early monumental architecture marks a moment of conscious formation, of
figurative and symbolic construction of Bengal.
Buddhist tradition and structures including stupas, temples, and
monasteries are the earliest evidence of historical monumental
architecture.

12. Islam in Bengal
A Turko- Persian culture is introduced with the arrival of the Turkish in the
13th century. It marks the beginning of the compelling influence of a totally new
religious ethos, which is “Islam”, during the Sultani period.
Mosques, mazars, and madrassas are the new building types that had been
introduced during this period. The introduction of the mosque as the new building type is the
momentous architectural phenomena of the period.

13. The Mughal Subah-e-Bangla
Making it an eastern edge of the empire, the Mughal rule was consolidated all over Bengal by
1596.
The main concentration of the Mughal Empire was establishing an efficient imperial
administrative system.
Construction of roads, forts, and series was far more vital during the rule.
The finest example of all time of Mughal architecture is The Lalbagh Fort in Dhaka.

14. Major Historical Remaining Till Date
Even though a few drift discoveries of limestone tools from numerous neighborhoods were
identified, the continuation of any primitive phase of Bangladesh was not invented by
archaeologists for an extended period of time.
Premature historic' and 'early medieval' period remains were the chiefly concerned by
Bangladesh archaeological activities in different areas.
The major three important archaeological sites of Bangladesh are
a. Mahasthangarh of Bogra, b. Paharpur of Naogaon, c. Mainamati of Comilla

15. Mahasthangarh Having the Significance
The ancient capital of the Pundrakingdom, Mahasthan situated nearly 10 kilometers
northeast of Bogra on the banks of the river Karatoya. Seeing that in JAMES RENNELL’S map of
Bengal drawn in 1767, Mahasthan or Pundranagar happened to be a significant site on major
north-south steering. Also as the position for the city is in one of the peak areas in Bangladesh,
this makes it more momentous.

16. Mahasthangarh Having the Significance
Mahasthan is a city of distant past from 3rd to 2nd century BC, known to be amongst mostly
religious places of Bangladesh. Mahasthan possesses the contemporary architecture compared
to other early remarkable sites of the Genetic valley such as Vaishali, Pataliputra, and
Kaushambi.
The ruins of the fortifications of Mahasthangarh demonstrate as having been formerly a
fortified city. Till today, the impressive remains can be traced and explained.
The suburbs of this fortified city extended for miles.
However, the livelihood of the location may go back to the establishment of the Maurya period
city with the earlier discovery of possible verification of urn committal and the recent discovery
of possible Chalcolithic levels, conducted by Bangladesh-French joint excavations.

17. Mahasthangarh Having the Significance
In the middle of 7th century AD, a glance of Pundranagara, a prosperous and rich city has been
given by Huen Tsang's narrative of Pundranagara.
Validating the city's constant affluence over the centuries, the similar proposition was made in
the 13th century in the Karatoyamahatmya, about five hundred years later.
Except for little possible remains of Gupta and Pala period temples and unremarkable remains,
the excavations of Mahasthan have always been on a somewhat restricted level. To make its
plan in any given period lucidity, no significant area of the city has been cleared.

18. Mahasthangarh Having the Significance
Around the city that has been extensively excavated found some buildings to be apparently
religious. Govinda Bhita, Gokul Medh or Laksindarer Medh, are the major excavations of all
time in Mahasthan.

19. Mahasthangarh Having the Significance
It is that assumed the walls of a temple was decorated with the plaques which now completely
gone.
The Ramayana story has been depicting by these plaques which makes the special plaques of
the site.
The depiction of every plaque is an exacting panorama which labeled with Sanskrit writing
using alphabets of the late seventh century.
It is until now only one of its kinds in Bangladesh.
This discovery of Rouletted Ware at Mahasthan added a new cultural aspect lately.
Other pieces which were found represent the characteristics of the Mauryan periods.
Most of them are broken tiles, the brickbats, potsherds, ring stones, bronze-mirrors, bronze
lamps, die-cast coins, terracotta plaques & stone beads.

20. Conclusion
Bengal deltaic region is a place where an assortment of cultures and civilizations came
and passed their tradition for decades.
Its architecture and archaeology fully reflect its deeply rooted heritage that is living
evidence of the ancient traditions, norms, and values that are been carried and practiced by
the people of the country for decades.
Even the three prime religions of Bangladesh (Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism) are
distributed throughout the nation by the influence of previous dynasties and ruling nations.
So the country's cultural practice is, therefore, a proud and happy concoction of several
combinations, distinctive also in ethnic diversity but again essentially highly symmetrical.

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