Relationships between men and women may seem formal. Touching may not be welcome, so a man might be wise to refrain from offering a handshake for example, to a Bangladeshi woman. Sometimes in Bangladesh men hold hands as an expression of friendship.

 Bangla is a distinctive language with its own ornate script, subtle sounds and a rich poetic tradition. There are 57 letters in the Bangla alphabet. Bangla also has its own number of symbols. The language is an important source of Bangladeshi national pride. When the country was part of Pakistan, the government moved to make Urdu the national language, replacing Bangla in this region. Bangladeshis consider themselves the only people ever to have gone to war mainly to preserve their language.

 School children learn English as a compulsory subject which is also spoken in the cities. Bangladesh has both Bangla and English newspapers. The government owns nine radio stations and the only television station.

Here are some Bangla words for you to try:

 

English Bangla How are you? Kamon acen? I'm well Bhalo aci What is your name? Apnar nam ki?  My name is ... Amar nam ... Snow Borof Cold Thanda Student Chattro Teacher Shik-khok Book Boi no na Good-bye Aashee See you again Abar dekha hobe I speak a little Bangla  Ami kichu Bangla bolte pari

 

Did you know?  Tribal people numbering about one million live in the hilly regions of Bangladesh. They grow rice, pumpkin and cotton. Each tribe has its own dialect, rituals and dress. Their ancestors came from Myanmar (Burma).