Buddhism in Bangladesh
Buddhism is the third largest religion in Bangladesh with about 0.7% of population adhering to Theravada Buddhism.[1] Most of the practiconers are the tribal Jumma people who are found mainly in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, where they constitute about 45% of the area's population.
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[edit] Demographic Overview
As of today, followers of Buddhism are mainly people of Arakanese descent living in the sub-tropical Chittagong Hill Tracts. Most of these people belong to the Chakma, Chak, Marma, Tenchungya and the Khyang, who had been since time in memorial have practiced Buddhism. Other tribals, notably those who practice Animism, have come under some Buddhist influence, and this is true in the case of the Khumi and the Mru, and to a lesser extent on the other tribals.
| District | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Barisal | < 0.06 |
| Chittagong | 12.65 |
| Comilla | 0.55 |
| Dhaka | 0.03 |
| Khulna | < 0.08 |
| Rajshahi | 0.23 |
| Sylhet | 0.2 |
Source: banglapedia [1]
[edit] History
Legend said that Gautama Buddha came to the region to spread Buddhism, and it was speculated that one or two individuals became monks to follow his footsteps. However, Buddhism did not gain much support during the lifetime of Gautama. It was not until under the reign of Asoka when Buddhism gained a toehold.
Buddhism in various forms appears to have been prevalent at the time of the Turkish conquest in 1202.[2] The invading armies apparently found numerous monasteries, which they destroyed in the belief that they were military fortresses. With the destruction of its centers of learning, Buddhism rapidly disintegrated. In subsequent centuries and up through the 1980s nearly all the remaining Buddhists lived in the region around Chittagong, which had not been entirely conquered until the time of the British Raj (1858-1947). In the Chittagong Hills, Buddhist tribes formed the majority of the population, and their religion appeared to be a mixture of tribal cults and Buddhist doctrines. According to the 1981 census, there were approximately 538,000 Buddhists in Bangladesh, representing less than 1 percent of the population.
[edit] Culture
There are several monasteries in the Chittagong Hills area, and in most Buddhist villages there is a school (kyong) where boys live and learn to read Burmese and some Pali (an ancient Buddhist scriptural language).[2] It is common for men who have finished their schooling to return at regular intervals for periods of residence in the school. The local Buddhist shrine is often an important center of village life.
Buddhism outside the monastic retreats has absorbed and adapted indigenous popular creeds and cults of the regions to which it has spread.[2] In most areas religious ritual focuses on the image of the Buddha, and the major festivals observed by Buddhists in Bangladesh commemorate the important events of his life. Although doctrinal Buddhism rejects the worship of gods and preserves the memory of the Buddha as an enlightened man, popular Buddhism contains a pantheon of gods and lesser deities headed by the Buddha.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs provides assistance for the maintenance of Buddhist places of worship and relics.[2] The ancient monasteries at Paharpur (in Rajshahi Region) and Mainamati (in Comilla Region), dating from the seventh to ninth century A.D., are considered unique for their size and setting and are maintained as state-protected monuments.
[edit] Prominent Bangladeshi Buddhists
[edit] Bhikkhus (Monks)
[edit] Scholars
[edit] Military
- Anup Kumar Chakma, Major General, currently serving as Ambassador of Bangladesh to Myanmar [2]
- Tushar Kanti Chakma, Brigadier General, currently serving as Director, Trust Bank [3]
[edit] Civil service
- Kusum Dewan, Deputy Commissioner of Police, currently serving as D.C(Port), Chittagong
- Amulya Bhushan Barua, Deputy Inspector General, Bangladesh Police
- Nobo Bikrom Kishor Tripura, Additional Inspector General, Bangladesh Police
[edit] Administration
Deputy Secretary & Above
- Saradindu Shekhar Chakma. Retired Additional Secretary & Former Ambassador of Bangladesh to Bhutan [4]
- Barrister Debashish Roy, Chakma Raja (Chakma Circle Chief)
- Supradip Chakma. Joint Secretary. Currently serving as Ambassador of Bangladesh to Vietnam [5]
[edit] Politics
- Dilip Barua (Bangladesher Samyabadi Dal (Marksbadi-Leninbadi)). Currently Minister of Industries.
- Dipanker Talukder (Awami League), Currently State Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs [6]
- Kalparanjan Chakma (Awami League), Ex State Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs
- Mani Swapan Dewan (Bangladesh Nationalist Party), Ex Deputy Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs
- Bir Bahadur (Awami League), M.P;elected from Bandarban Hill District
[edit] Arts and literature
- Kanak Chanpa Chakma (Artist), General Secretary of Tone Art Society of Bangladesh [7]
- Kamal Chakma, Producer. Currently Producer of Media Bhuban & Sports Vision on Banglavision[8]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ BANGLADESH: COUNTRY PROFILE
- ^ a b c d "Buddhism". Bangladesh: A country study. Library of Congress Federal Research Division.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Library of Congress Country Studies.
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