BANGLADESH
Key Facts
Population: 167,184,465
Capital: Dhaka
Main languages: Bengali or Bangla
Main religions: Muslim 91%, Hindu 8%
Country Information
Geography
Often called the nation of rivers, Bangladesh is in a huge delta region formed by the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna river systems. It is one of the most flood-prone countries in the world. The country shares land borders with India and Myanmar and with the Bay of Bengal to the South. Bangladesh has a tropical and monsoonal climate.
History
Bangladesh was loosely controlled by various Buddhist and Hindu empires for much of the first millennium. Islam began to spread across the region in the 10th century. Following 200 years of British rule, the partition of 1947 resulted in Bengal being split along religious lines. West Bengal (primarily Hindu) remained with India and East Bengal (primarily Muslim) became a physically isolated part of Pakistan (renamed East Pakistan).
Bangladesh became an independent country in 1971 when the two parts of Pakistan split after a bitter nine-month war that also drew in neighbouring country India. Facing many challenges, the government was overthrown in 1975 and Bangladesh was under military rule for 15 years. Even though democracy was restored in 1990, politics in the country remain volatile. Islamic extremism has also been rising in the traditionally tolerant country.
Culture
Although Bangladesh is a relatively young sovereign country, it has an ancient heritage as part of the historic region of Bengal. This has resulted in rich and vibrant cultural traditions, artistic expressions and delicious cuisine.
A strong cultural concept in the country is harmony. A common phrase that parents tell children is “manush hou”, which roughly means “be human”. More generally, it means that one should act in a way that places the trait of being human above differences such as religion or ethnicity.
It is also a very community and family-focused society. People often act in the best interests of the community rather than their individual preferences. Elders are greatly respected.
Case Study: St Marcellin School
Since the days of British rule, tea companies in Bangladesh have been exempt from many labour regulations and remain to this day exploitative and damaging to the generations of workers who call them home. Tea companies control access to housing, medical facilities and education. Coupled with a paltry income, this serves to indenture families to the tea company as they live day-to-day without the resources to improve their lives
In 2004, according to the Bangladesh Tea Board, of the 156 tea gardens nationwide, there were 188 primary schools, with just 366 teachers teaching 25,966 students. Most of these schools are tea company schools, mandated by the government but are basically one room with one teacher ‘teaching’ up to 100 children. Literacy rates for tea garden children is a shockingly low 25%.
After finishing primary school most of the children from the tea gardens are unable to continue their education. There are only three secondary schools within the tea gardens. A poor primary education means the transition is difficult, with many failing national exams, and the lack of secondary schools means access is near impossible for those children whose families cannot afford transportation costs. Only 20% of tea garden children complete secondary school. With limited access to secondary education, they have no chance of breaking out of the cycle of poverty that they were born into and creating a life outside of the tea gardens. They are destined to become tea workers themselves.
St Marcellin School in Giasnogor opened in January 2017 and is providing secondary education to 446 students in grades six to ten (as of 2023). The School has a maximum capacity of 480 students, including boarding facilities for 90 girls and 90 boys. The purpose of St Marcellin School is to provide free education and boarding to tea garden children that enables them to break the cycle of poverty and rise above the bonded life that they were born into. 75% of the students are on full scholarships as otherwise, their families would not be able to afford to send them to school. St Marcellin School promotes intercultural and interfaith understanding with children and teachers belonging to 22 different ethnic groups and three major religions.
