A First Gen Bangladeshi's Background
A First Gen Bangladeshi's Background
A First Gen Bangladeshi's Background
Pakistan
India
British Raj
Bangladesh
My
Grandparents’
Experience
I have no idea about my great-
grandparents but I know that my
grandpa (mom’s dad) was born in 1940
in British Raj. At that time, Britain was
in control so that’s why it was called
British Raj. In 1947, India became
independent and East India became
Pakistan. A year later, my grandma was
born. In 1971, East Pakistan became
Bangladesh, and that is where my
parents and relatives were born.
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Our national food
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Our Holidays
Our holidays that we celebrate
are Ekushey, Independence
Day, Victory Day, Eid-ul-Fitr,
Eid-ul-Adha, Durga Puja, and
Christmas. (Continued on
page 4)
3
Our Holidays
(continued)
Ekushey: Celebrated on the 21st
day of February every year,
Ekushey is known as the
National Mother Language Day,
which marks the anniversary of
the martyrdom of those who
died while protesting the
imposition of Urdu as the
national language of East and
West Pakistan. Political leaders,
writers, intellectuals, poets,
artisans and singers offer
tributes to those that suffered.
(Continued on page 5)
4
Our Holidays
(continued)
Independence Day: March 16th
celebrates the proclamation of
Bangladesh’s independence,
and each year, numerous events
are held to commemorate the
historic date.
Victory Day: Victory Day
remembers the day the
Pakistani army surrendered to
the joint Bangladeshi and
Indian Forces which is
celebrated December 16.
(Continued on page 6)
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Our Holidays
(continued)
Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha: The date
of Eid-ul-Fitr varies each year based
on the Muslim calendar. A feast that
marks the completion of the holy
month of Ramadan (the month of
fasting), this is the largest festival
celebrated annually in Bangladesh,
followed by Eid-ul-Adha.
Durga Puja: Bangladeshis are
predominantly Muslim, but some are
devoted to other faiths, such as
Hinduism. Durga Puja is the biggest
festival of the Hindu community.
Different rituals are observed,
including the immersion of an idol of
Durga into the river. Events are held at
the Dhakeswari Temple and last for 10
days.
(Continued on page 7)
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Our Holidays
(continued)
Christmas: Christmas is celebrated by
the Christian community in
Bangladesh. On the eve of December
25th, congregational prayers are held
in various churches, particularly in
Tejgaon.
Pawhela Boishakh: Of all the secular
national festivities in Bangladesh,
New Year’s Day is the most
celebrated by the Hindu community.
The Pawhela Boishakh festival is
marked by a wide variety of cultural
shows (Boishakhi Mela) and other
programs. Everyone eats sweets and
dresses up in kurtas or sarees, wishing
everyone a joyous new beginning.
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What Women Wear
In our culture, women wear three
piece dresses or anything basic for
home. But when it comes to occasions
such as weddings, parties, baby
showers, we wear lehengas, sarees,
etc. Girls don’t have to wear sarees
and lehengas, but they can if they
want to.
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What Men Wear
At home, men wear lungis or
something basic. So do little
boys. But when occasions occur,
they wear panjabis, kurta sets,
sherwanis, Nehru Jackets and
more.
What is
Bangladesh’s
currency?
The currency of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is the
Bangladeshi taka. In Bengali it is written as টাকা and it is thought to
come from Sanskrit word tankah. The Bangladeshi taka is
internationally recognized by the code BDT. Its currency symbol is
৳, and it is known as Tk in short-form. there was a 90-year struggle
before India gained independence from British rule in 1947. What
did this mean for Bangladesh? Well, it then became known as East
Bengal and a part of Pakistan. Despite being on the opposite side of
India, its currency was the Pakistani rupee. In 1971, 50 years ago,
Bangladesh became the country we know today. Having their own
currency was clearly an emotive topic for many Bengali people
who stamped words বাংলা দেশ or BANGLA DESH on Pakistani
banknotes, prior to the taka being produced. The wait was over on
4th March, 1972, when the Bangladeshi government introduced the
taka, which replaced the Pakistani rupee at the same value. The first
Bangladeshi banknotes to be produced were the ৳1, with larger
notes being introduced over the next ten years or so. The ৳1000
note came into circulation in 2008 and was a sign of the country's
economic growth.
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How did Bengali
become a language?
Bengali/Bangla, member of the Indo-Aryan
group of the Indo-Iranian branch of the
Indo-European language family. It is spoken by
more than 210 million people as a first or
second language, with some 100 million Bengali
speakers in Bangladesh; about 85 million in
India, primarily in the states of West Bengal,
Assam, and Tripura; and sizable immigrant
communities in the United Kingdom, the
United States, and the Middle East. It is the state
language of Bangladesh and one of the
languages officially recognized in the
constitution of India.
Here’s the thing… my parents are the ones