Living traditions
Weaving, pottery, Baul and Bhatiali songs, boat races, fairs and festivals that are still part of everyday life.
Living traditions
Tradition Atish Dipankar and Bikrampur's Buddhist Legacy
Munshiganj · অতীশ দীপঙ্কর ও বিক্রমপুরThe village of Bajrayogini honours the 11th-century scholar who carried Buddhism to Tibet.
Tradition Baul and Folk Songs of Netrokona
Netrokona · নেত্রকোনার বাউল গানThe home of mystic singers such as Jalal Uddin Khan and Ukil Munshi, whose songs are still sung at night gatherings.
Tradition Baul Songs of Shah Abdul Karim
Sunamganj · শাহ আবদুল করিমের বাউল গানThe 'Baul emperor' of Bangladesh, whose songs of love and the haor are sung everywhere.
Tradition Bhawaiya Songs
Kurigram · ভাওয়াইয়া গানThe long, wavering folk songs of the north, sung about love, separation and river journeys.
Tradition Bijoypur Pottery
Cumilla · বিজয়পুরের মৃৎশিল্পA potters' community south of town making terracotta pots, vases and decorative pieces by hand.
Tradition Biju and Boisabi
Rangamati · বিজু ও বৈসাবিThe hill tracts' new-year festival, when flowers float on the river and homes open to guests.
Tradition Bishwa Ijtema
Gazipur · বিশ্ব ইজতেমাOne of the largest Muslim gatherings in the world, held each winter on the banks of the Turag at Tongi.
Tradition Buffalo herding on the chars
Bhola · চরের মহিষের বাথানHerders live with their buffalo on remote sandbars, moving them with the tides and seasons.
Tradition Buffalo Herding on the Chars
Noakhali · চরের মহিষের বাথানHerders who live with their buffalo on the shifting coastal islands, moving with the tides and seasons.
Tradition Cumilla Khadi
Cumilla · কুমিল্লার খাদিHand-spun, handwoven cotton cloth that became a symbol of self-reliance in the independence movement.
Tradition Date-Palm Sap Tapping
Manikganj · খেজুর রস সংগ্রহOn winter nights gachhis climb date palms to hang clay pots for sweet sap.
Tradition Gachhi date palm tapping
Magura · গাছিদের খেজুর রস সংগ্রহSkilled tappers climb date palms each winter evening to hang pots for the overnight sap.
Tradition Gachhis and the Winter Sap
Madaripur · গাছিদের খেজুর রস সংগ্রহOn cold mornings gachhis climb date palms to collect sap and boil it into gur by the roadside.
Tradition Garia Dance
Khagrachhari · গরিয়া নৃত্যA Tripura community dance performed from village to village during the new-year festival, Boisu.
Tradition Garo Culture of Madhupur
Tangail · মধুপুরের গারো সংস্কৃতিMatrilineal Garo villages keep their language, harvest rites and Christmas celebrations in the forest.
Tradition Garo, Hajong and Koch Communities
Sherpur · গারো, হাজং ও কোচ সংস্কৃতিIndigenous communities in the Sherpur hills keep their own languages, festivals and village crafts.
Tradition Gombhira
Chapainawabganj · গম্ভীরাA witty folk performance in which a 'grandfather' and 'grandson' sing about everyday troubles.
Tradition Gopinathpur Fair
Joypurhat · গোপীনাথপুর মেলাA large yearly fair around the Gopinathpur temple, drawing pilgrims, traders and families.
Tradition Handloom Villages of Belkuchi and Enayetpur
Sirajganj · বেলকুচি ও এনায়েতপুরের তাঁতVillage after village of looms weaving lungis, sarees and gamchhas for the whole country.
Tradition Hilsa Fishing Life on the Meghna
Chandpur · মেঘনার জেলে জীবনGenerations of fishing families who live by the river's rhythms, and the seasonal bans that protect the hilsa.
Tradition Jabbarer Boli Khela
Chattogram · জব্বারের বলী খেলাA century-old wrestling festival at Laldighi that turns central Chattogram into a giant fair every Boishakh.
Tradition Jamalpur Nakshi Kantha
Jamalpur · জামালপুরের নকশিকাঁথাWomen stitch layered cotton quilts with running-stitch scenes and motifs, Jamalpur's best-known craft.
Tradition Jamdani Weaving
Narayanganj · জামদানি বুননWeavers in Rupganj and Sonargaon hand-weave fine muslin saris with patterns built thread by thread.
Tradition Jashore embroidery
Jashore · যশোরের সূচিশিল্পColourful hand-stitched saris, salwar sets and panjabis made by women across rural Jashore.
Tradition Jasimuddin Fair
Faridpur · জসীম মেলাA winter village fair at Ambikapur honouring the poet with folk songs, crafts and food stalls.
Tradition Jute Harvest
Faridpur · পাট কাটা ও জাগIn late monsoon, farmers soak and strip jute in village ponds, then dry golden fibre along the roads.
Tradition Kantajew Rash Mela
Dinajpur · কান্তজীউ রাস মেলাA large yearly fair at Kantanagar around Rash Purnima, with worship, music and stalls.
Tradition Kumarkhali handloom
Kushtia · কুমারখালীর তাঁতWeavers' villages producing lungis, gamchas and bedcovers on clattering wooden looms.
Tradition Lalmonirhat Railway Heritage
Lalmonirhat · লালমনিরহাট রেলওয়ে ঐতিহ্যA small town that grew as a railway headquarters, with colonial quarters and old station buildings.
Tradition Lalon festival
Kushtia · লালন স্মরণোৎসবThousands of Bauls and seekers gather at Cheuria to sing for days on Lalon's death anniversary.
Tradition Langalbandh Ashtami Snan
Narayanganj · লাঙ্গলবন্দ অষ্টমী স্নানA huge Hindu holy dip in the Old Brahmaputra each spring, drawing pilgrims from across the region.
Tradition Life on the Chars
Gaibandha · চরের জীবনThe resilient way of life of families who farm, fish and rebuild on shifting river islands.
Tradition Madhu Mela at Sagardari
Jashore · সাগরদাঁড়ির মধুমেলাA week-long fair each January honouring Michael Madhusudan Dutt with poetry, music and village stalls.
Tradition Manipuri Dance and Raas Leela
Moulvibazar · মণিপুরী নৃত্য ও রাসলীলাGraceful devotional dance of the Manipuri community, performed all night at the autumn Raas festival.
Tradition Matua Baruni Snan Fair
Gopalganj · মতুয়া বারুণী স্নান মেলাEach spring, Matua pilgrims gather at Orakandi to bathe, sing and celebrate Harichand Thakur.
Tradition Monsoon boat markets
Pirojpur · আটঘরের নৌকার হাটWeekly markets where handmade wooden canoes are sold before and during the rainy season.
Tradition Moual honey hunters of the Sundarbans
Khulna · সুন্দরবনের মৌয়ালTeams of honey collectors who sail into the mangroves each April, praying to Bonbibi for protection.
Tradition Mujibnagar Day
Meherpur · মুজিবনগর দিবসEach 17 April, ceremonies at the mango grove recall the oath-taking of the 1971 government.
Tradition Mymensingh Gitika Ballads
Mymensingh · মৈমনসিংহ গীতিকাFolk ballads of love and loss from this region, collected a century ago and still sung today.
Tradition Narsingdi Weaving
Narsingdi · নরসিংদীর তাঁতGenerations of weavers have made Madhabdi and its villages a centre of the Bangladeshi cloth trade.
Tradition Overnight river launch to Barishal
Barishal · ঢাকা-বরিশাল লঞ্চ যাত্রাThe classic multi-deck river launch that sails from Dhaka's Sadarghat by night to Barishal by dawn.
Tradition Pabna Handloom and Hosiery
Pabna · পাবনার তাঁত ও হোসিয়ারিGenerations-old weaving and knitting workshops that still clothe much of the country.
Tradition Paired Hilsa Fair
Shariatpur · জোড়া ইলিশের মেলাA winter village fair at Monohar Bazar where buying a pair of hilsa marks the start of Magh.
Tradition Pohela Boishakh Procession
Dhaka · পহেলা বৈশাখের শোভাযাত্রাOn Bangla New Year the Charukola art students lead a colourful parade of giant masks and figures.
Tradition Poradaha Fish Fair
Bogura · পোড়াদহ মেলাA one-day winter village fair in Gabtali famous for giant river fish and family gatherings.
Tradition Rajshahi Silk
Rajshahi · রাজশাহী সিল্কA long-running silk tradition whose soft sarees and fabrics carry the city's name.
Tradition Rakhine handloom weaving
Patuakhali · রাখাইন তাঁতRakhine women weave bright shawls, lungis and bags on traditional looms in Kalapara villages.
Tradition Rakhine Sangrai water festival
Barguna · রাখাইনদের সাংগ্রাই জলকেলি উৎসবRakhine New Year in April, when young people splash each other with water for luck.
Tradition Ramu's Buddhist Heritage and Probarona Lanterns
Cox's Bazar · রামুর বৌদ্ধ ঐতিহ্য ও প্রবারণার ফানুসOld monasteries and a reclining Buddha in Ramu, where hundreds of paper lanterns rise into the sky at Probarona Purnima.
Tradition Rash Mela at Dublar Char
Bagerhat · দুবলার চরের রাসমেলাA Hindu full-moon festival held on a Sundarbans island that is also the hub of the winter dry-fish camps.
Tradition Rignai and Risa Weaving
Khagrachhari · রিনাই ও রিসা বুননBright Tripura women's garments woven on back-strap looms in geometric patterns.
Tradition Saidpur Railway Town
Nilphamari · সৈয়দপুর রেলওয়ে কারখানাHome of the country's largest railway workshop since 1870, and a town shaped by the railway.
Tradition Sangrai Water Festival
Bandarban · সাংগ্রাই উৎসবThe Marma new-year festival, when young people splash water on each other to wash away the old year.
Tradition Shakrain Kite Festival
Dhaka · সাকরাইন উৎসবEach January, Old Dhaka's rooftops fill with kites, music and fire-breathers to mark the end of Poush.
Tradition Shital Pati Weaving
Sylhet · শীতল পাটিCool, glossy mats woven from split murta cane, a craft recognised by UNESCO.
Tradition Sholakia Eid Congregation
Kishoreganj · শোলাকিয়া ঈদগাহThe country's largest Eid prayer gathering, held on a vast field in Kishoreganj town.
Tradition Shotoronji Weaving of Nisbetganj
Rangpur · নিসবেতগঞ্জের শতরঞ্জিHand-woven cotton rugs made on simple floor looms in a village on Rangpur's edge.
Tradition Songs of Hason Raja
Sunamganj · হাছন রাজার গানMystic folk songs of a 19th-century zamindar-poet that are still sung across the haor country.
Tradition Tagore's Birthday at Patisar
Naogaon · পতিসরে রবীন্দ্রজয়ন্তীSongs, recitation and a village fair at Tagore's old estate on his birthday each May.
Tradition Tangail Saree Weaving
Tangail · টাঙ্গাইল শাড়ি বুননIn Pathrail and nearby villages, weavers still make the light, colourful Tangail sari on handlooms.
Tradition Ustad Alauddin Khan's Musical Legacy
Brahmanbaria · ওস্তাদ আলাউদ্দিন খাঁর সংগীত ঐতিহ্যThe home district of a giant of Indian classical music, still celebrated with an annual music festival.
Tradition Wangala Festival
Netrokona · ওয়ানগালা উৎসবThe Garo harvest festival, with drums, dancing and thanks to the sun god Saljong.
Representative photo Tradition Bishad Sindhu Literary Heritage
Rajbari · বিষাদ-সিন্ধুর ঐতিহ্যPadamdi keeps alive the memory of Mir Mosharraf Hossain, whose Karbala epic is read across Bengal.
Representative photo Tradition Bonbibi worship
Satkhira · বনবিবির পূজাForest villagers honour Bonbibi, the guardian of the Sundarbans, before entering the mangroves.
Representative photo Tradition Buffalo Curd at Every Feast
Lakshmipur · ভোজে মহিষের দইA local custom: any wedding or big feast must end with a generous serving of sour buffalo curd.
Representative photo Tradition Chitra boat race and Sultan Mela
Narail · চিত্রা নদীর নৌকাবাইচ ও সুলতান মেলাLong racing boats and village games on the Chitra, held in memory of S.M. Sultan.
Representative photo Tradition Gazi, Kalu and Champaboti legend
Jhenaidah · গাজী-কালু-চম্পাবতী উপাখ্যানA folk romance of a pir, his brother and a princess, still sung and painted in the south-west.
Representative photo Tradition Indigo era heritage
Chuadanga · নীলকুঠির ইতিহাসRuined indigo factories recall the forced cultivation and peasant revolt of the 1800s.
Representative photo Tradition Kathin Chibar Dan
Rangamati · কঠিন চীবর দানA Buddhist robe-offering festival where monks' robes are spun, woven and dyed in a single day.
Representative photo Tradition Language Martyr Abdus Salam's Village
Feni · ভাষা শহীদ আবদুস সালামের গ্রামThe village of a martyr of the 1952 Language Movement, remembered with a memorial library and museum.
Representative photo Tradition Medicinal Plant Village (Aushodhi Gram)
Natore · ঔষধি গ্রামVillages near Natore where families grow medicinal herbs in field after field.
Representative photo Tradition Nekmarad Mela
Thakurgaon · নেকমরদ মেলাOne of the oldest rural fairs in North Bengal, held at a saint's shrine in Ranisankail.
Representative photo Tradition Rash Purnima at Kuakata
Patuakhali · কুয়াকাটার রাসপূর্ণিমাHindu pilgrims bathe in the sea at dawn under the autumn full moon, with a fair on the beach.
Representative photo Tradition Shitalpati weaving
Jhalokathi · শীতলপাটিCool, smooth mats woven from murta cane strips, a craft that is part of Jhalokathi's identity.
Representative photo Tradition Stone Collectors of the Mahananda
Panchagarh · মহানন্দার পাথর শ্রমিকWorkers wade the shallow Mahananda gathering stones carried down from the Himalayan foothills.
Representative photo Tradition Tea Workers' Phagua Festival
Habiganj · চা শ্রমিকদের ফাগুয়া উৎসবA spring festival of colour, music and dance celebrated by tea-garden communities.