INTANGIBLE CULTURAL

HERITAGE AND
PEACEBUILDING IN
BANGLADESH
• Dr. Saifur Rashid
• Professor

Dr. Saifur Rashid

Professor
Department of Anthropology
University of Dhaka
Bangladesh
Email: [email protected]
• Department of Anthropology
• University of Dhaka
• Bangladesh
 PREAMBLE
• UNESCO Convention 2003 emphasizes on the role of ICH for
building peace in the society by bringing together the people
of different culture, faith, and ethnicity.
• The goal 16 of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
(SDGs) of UN focuses on the promotion of peaceful and
inclusive societies for all.
• Bangladesh, as a country of South Asia, has been a place of
religious and cultural harmony for centuries.
• As important elements of ICH, both religion and ethnicity have
always been crucial for building peace in Bangladesh.
• In recent years, the conflicts among the inter/intra ethnic and
faith groups have resulted in large scale political and social
unrest.
 OBJECTIVES
• This paper primarily intends to examine
o How different elements of intangible cultural heritage have
been used for building peace and harmony in society
o How peace and harmony has been disrupted as a result of
lackluster management, protection and promotion of
various elements of ICH; and
o How newly created various cultural elements and spaces
are being increasingly used for strengthening harmony and
building peace in the society.
 UNESCO ICH CONVENTION 2003, AGENDA FOR
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL-2030 AND PEACE-
BUILDING
• UNESCO Convention 2003 emphasizes on the role of ICH in
building peace in the society by bringing together the people of
different culture, faith, and ethnicity (UNESCO 2003, Brauchler
2011).
• Destruction or attack on any of those intangible cultural heritage
(ICH) are sometimes very difficult to detect, but potentially
graver in its consequences and more difficult to heal
(Nordstrom, 1997).
• Ethnic, religious and cultural diversity can be used to prevent
and resolve violent conflict and enable reconciliation.
• Reconciliation, institution building, political and economic
transformation are considered as most important pre-conditions
for peace-building.
 UNESCO ICH CONVENTION 2003, AGENDA FOR
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL-2030 AND PEACE-
BUILDING
• The SDG-16 emphasizes on the inclusion of all individuals and
groups in the development and peace-building process,
particularly marginalized by culture, ethnicity, religion, politics,
economy, gender and others factors.
• Promotion of various ICH elements of different groups and
sharing of those elements among all the groups of the society are
the main thrusts of inclusiveness.
• Empathy for culture is considered as a core requirement for
promoting, protecting and safeguarding of ICH and building
peace in the society.
• Culture is a source of identity and cultural heritage as a vector of
identity can be used as a vital component in resolving various
conflicts (see, Rudd, 2015).
HERITAGE AND PEACE: ‘HERITAGE FOR
PEACE’ OR ‘PEACE FOR HERITAGE’
• The strong presence of the ideology of Sufism and Baulism
(mysticism) in the people’s perceptions and beliefs indicates
the strength of religious heritage in maintaining communal
harmony.
• The political journey of Pal, Sen, Mughal and British in this
land created an environment of cultural, religious and social
integrity and diversity.
• The humanistic songs and the writings of mystic poet Fakir
Lalon Shah, Radharomon, Abdul Karim, Hason Raja and others
have been the sources of this harmony.
• In addition, Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Sukanta
Bhattacharya and some other writers have taught how to love
people and reduce discriminations in the society.
 ICH, CULTURAL DIVERSITIES AND
MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES IN
BANGLADESH: THE ISSUES OF PEACE
• Cultural diversity implies a commitment to the human rights of
disadvantaged or discriminated groups (including ethnic, religious,
caste and occupational) and minorities. (UNESCO Universal
Declaration on Cultural Diversity 2001).
• Most of the internal conflicts are religious and ethnically based,
i.e. the conflicts are waged along ethnic and religious lines.
• Ethnic emotions and religious beliefs, in interaction with and
under a particular set of structural and political forces and
conditions, have caused various conflicts.
• The problem of ethnic and religious intolerance permeates every
aspect of social fabric and poses a major obstacle to a successful,
long-term development and peace in this region (See, Balgoievic
2004).
 ICH, RELIGION AND PEACE:
BANGLADESH FROM ASIAN
PERSPECTIVE
• Both anthropology and sociology of religion recognize the
entanglement of religion and culture and sometimes consider
religion as a part of culture.
• The protection of ICH means the protection of different types of
beliefs, rituals and practices associated with various religions,
which are considered as important element of ICH (ICCROM,
2003 and ALTER heritage, 2015).
• The mosaic of religious cultural heritage in Asia is one of the
strongest elements of the world's religious property (Hannerz,
1989, Appadurai, 1990).
• Due to the presence of various political religious reigns in different
times in this region, Bangladesh has always been a home to famous
Tirtha or pilgrimage sites for different faith groups.
 ICH, RELIGION, ETHNICITY AND PEACE:
BANGLADESH FROM ASIAN PERSPECTIVE
• Many notable monks, Rishis (Hindu saints), Bhikkhus (Buddhist saints),
Pirs and Darbeshes (Muslim preachers), and Christian priests were either
born or passed away here.
• Common people, in general, have a very good mutual understanding
among themselves with different religious, ethnic and cultural identity.
• But the difference in religious ideologies and practices has always been a
major issue of political differences both at the micro and macro level.
• In the recent times, the conflicts among the inter-faith groups and intra-
faith groups (iconoclasm) have resulted many large scale political and
social unrests with killing and attacking people, and destructing various
religious and cultural establishments.
• The ongoing political tension in the CHT region, conflicts between the
ethnic groups and the Bengali settlers, among the ethnic groups (11) and
between the Military and the ethnic communities (mostly the Buddhist
believers) killing hundreds of thousand of people.
 ETHNIC, RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL CONFLICTS
IN BANGLADESH: PEACE UNDER THREATS
Attacks Year Place Attacks Yea Place
Attacks on Language 1948-52 East Pakistan Coordinated series 2005 63 Districts
(Bangladesh) bombings across the
country
Mass killing of Intellectuals 14thDec,197 East Pakistan Cutting beards/long hair 2011, Faridpur,
1 (Bangladesh) of Baul 2016 Chuadanga

Criticism of Taslima Nasrin 1990s Dhaka Cutting beards/long hair 2011, Faridpur,
of Baul 2016 Chuadanga
Attacks on Hindu Community after 1992 In a number of Attack on Ramu’s 2012 Cox’s Bazar
Babri Mosque Attack districts Buddhist Temple
Attacks on cultural events. 1999 Jessore Murder of a TV Islamic 2014 Dhaka
presenter
Attack on Pahela Baishakh (Bengali 2001 Dhaka (Ramna Attack on a Priest of a 2015 Pabna
new year) Program Batamul) church

Grisly Grenade Attack on an Awami 21 August Dhaka Attacks on secular 2013- Dhaka
League rally, killed 24 leaders, 2004 bloggers, publishers and 2017
injured more than 300 LGBT killings
Attack on Secular Writer Humayun 2003 Dhaka Islamic extremists 2016 Brahmanbaria
Azad attacked on Hindu
community
 THE EMERGENCE OF NEW CULTURAL
ELEMENTS AND SPACES IN BANGLADESH:
SOME RAYS OF HOPE

• Despite of witnessing several unexpected attacks and threats,

some positive things have also happened in Bangladesh side by
side.
• It is a great hope that young generations are getting more
conscious about safeguarding their culture and heritage.
• A large number of young and educated population of the society
are enthusiastic and committed to promote, preserve and
safeguard various elements of cultural heritage.
• In the recent times, some cultural and social spaces have been
created in many places of the country including cultural
academies, theme parks, historical and archaeological sites,
libraries, and eateries.
 THE EMERGENCE OF NEW CULTURAL
ELEMENTS AND SPACES IN BANGLADESH:
SOME RAYS OF HOPE
• Several regular and occasion-based gatherings in various
public spaces have been playing significant roles in
generating a sense of ownership among the communities and
for strengthening social cohesion and building peace in the
society.
• They also reflect the commonality of practices, participation,
and celebration, irrespective of religious, ethnic, or social
identity.
• There are hundreds of local and regional social, cultural and
religious festivals and events which have been playing
significant role in building harmony among different
religious and ethnic communities.
 THE EMERGENCE OF NEW CULTURAL ELEMENTS
AND SPACES IN BANGLADESH: SOME RAYS OF
HOPE
Event Facts
Mangol The large public rally with masks and decoration organized by the Art Institute
Sobhajatra of Dhaka University on the first day of Baishakh (Bengali New Year).
Cultural Traditional Bengali music and dance program organized by Chhayanot to
Program in celebrate Bengali new year in Ramna of Dhaka. They have been organizing this
Ramna Batmul program since 1964. Now this has become a national celebration.

Baishakhi Mela Baishakhi Mela is the event which is organized by Bengali people throughout
the country. It is an event for celebration of the Bengali New Year, where
various musical and cultural events are held for social gathering and buying of
traditional foods and fun items.
February Book Omor Ekushe Gronthomela, is a month-long book fair hosted by Bangla
Fair Academy in February of every year.
Pahela Falgun Pohela Falgun, the first day of the Bengali month of Falgun. On this day, young
people all over the country wear yellow dresses and attend various cultural
programs or social gatherings.
 THE EMERGENCE OF NEW CULTURAL ELEMENTS
AND SPACES IN BANGLADESH: SOME RAYS OF
HOPE
Event Facts
Bishwa Valentine’s Day is celebrated on 14 th February. This day is celebrated just next day of
Bhalobasha Pahela Falgun. Teenagers and youths observed this day most enthusiastically with joys and
Dibos happiness and greet each other.
(Valentine’s
Day)

21st February 21st of February is observed as Language Martyrs' Day as well as International Mother
Language Day. People from all strata go to martyr’s monument with flowers to show their
respects to the people who were killed during the 1952 language movement.

Shadhinota Shadhinota Dibos or Independence Day is celebrated on 26 th March.

Dibos
Bijoy Dibos Bijoy Dibosh or Victory Day, is on 16 December.
31st Night and It is the New Year’s Eve on 31st December and 1st Day of Julian calendar.
New Year
Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid- The two largest religious festivals of Muslim Communities. Though it is mostly a religious
ul-Azha festival but people from all religions greet each other to celebrate the occasion.
 THE EMERGENCE OF NEW CULTURAL ELEMENTS AND
SPACES IN BANGLADESH: SOME RAYS OF HOPE
Event Facts
Sharodiyo An important annual religious festival of the Hindu community held during the autumn.
Durga Puja People of different faiths visit Puja Mandop (veneration centers) and take part in the
festivities held throughout the country.

Saraswati Puja Saraswati Puja or Shree Panchami, an annual temple-based veneration festival, is in January
or February to honor Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of Knowledge, Music, and Art.

Ashura (Muharram), is a special day for Shia Muslims to remember the tragic incident of
Ashura Karbala. It is observed on the 10 th day of the Islamic month of Muharram with a street
procession called Tajia Michhil.

Lalon Uthsab People visit the Shrine of Fakir Lalon Shah in the Kushtia District of Khulna twice a year,
once in February or March and once in October to commemorate Lalon Shah.

Bengal Major Classical Music Festival in South Asia. Bengal Foundation of Dhaka has been
Classical Music organizing this festival since 2012. Through participating in this festival young people are
Festival becoming familiar with the classical music of this sub-continent.
 CONCLUSION
• The destruction of elements of intangible cultural heritage
(ICH) such as social and cultural structures, relationships and
identities can increase the violence in society.
• Education can play a fundamental constructive role in
promoting interpersonal cooperation and understanding and
reinforcing social cohesion, and is a key to equal societal
participation (Seitz, 2004).
• In countries like Bangladesh, it is ‘education for all’ has to be
ensured first and then ‘heritage education’ has to be duly
incorporated in the curriculum of different level of education.
• For promotion, protection and safeguarding of the rich
elements of its cultural heritage, introducing courses on
heritage are very essential to raise awareness about the
importance of heritage in building peace in the society.
 CONCLUSION
• To promote peace and religious harmony in the society, a multi-level
initiative should be taken :
• i) To raise awareness among the different religious, ethnic,
occupational and cultural groups to reduce the threats of
‘iconoclasm’ (religious hostility),
• ii) To identify areas where an Asia-wide response for ethnic and
religious heritage management is appropriate,
• iii) To find the ways to prevent various risks associated with inter-
religious/ethnic or intra-religious/ethnic tensions,
• iv) To develop a participatory heritage management strategy
through interfaith dialogues and to share religious knowledge and
insights with each other; and
• v) To work together to prevent the threats and to face the
challenges of the management of various ethnic and religious
cultural heritages in Bangladesh and the region.
 SOME PICTURES THAT DEPICT THE
BARRIERS AGAINST PEACE-BUILDING:
ATTACK ON HINDU TEMPLES, FAMILIES AND HOUSES IN 2021
“Hindus, Muslims, Bangalees and non-Bangalees, all those who live in this Bangla are
our brothers. The responsibility of protecting them is upon you. Ensure that our
reputation is not smeared in any way”.
-Bangabandhu, Father of the Nation, at a speech on 7 th March, 1971
 BEYOND THIS DESTRUCTIVE
SCENARIO, SOME NEW CULTURAL
ELEMENTS ARE ALSO BEING
CREATED AND GIVING US SOME RAYS
OF HOPE FOR BUILDING PEACE IN
THE SOCIETY.
 Mongol Sovajatra on 14th
April. Bangla New Year

Pahela Falgun Festival

 New Year
Festival in
Chittagong Hill
Tracts

Durga Puja
1. Victory Day
(16th December)
2. International
Mother Language
Day (21st
February)
3. Independence
Day (26th March)
 Bengal Classical Music Festival
Lalon Akhra, Kushtia Ekushey Book Fair
 SHAH ABDUL KARIM
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92QaGis8lAg
THANK YOU