New Insights on the Ethno-religious Diversity in Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh has been a favorable land of human habitation because of the abundance and easy access of natural resource. People groups of diverse ethnicity and religious background migrated into Bengal since prehistoric period. Several waves of force migrations also occurred during colonial time, particularly to supply a large number of indentured laborers (bonded slaves) in newly developed tea estates. Consequently, Bangladesh has a population diverse in color, morphological trait, ethnicity and religious practice. However, while the majority of them are recognized as Bengali, some unique people groups are living with their distinct ethnic identities and religious beliefs, officially known as tribal people. In most of the cases these distinct people groups live side by side with the mainstream Bengali people and repeatedly presented to be the witnesses of ethno-religious harmony.

Till date, about 30 of such isolated tribal groups were official reported and narrated in academic literature. However, a total of about 50 other people groups of distinct ethno-religious identities were recently documented as part of ongoing ethnographic explorations across Bangladesh. This research aims to introduce some of these people groups including Malpahari, Lohar, Paharia, Turia, Kol, Pahan in the north; Kowl, Shobor, Sinteng, Retra, Kanu, Bhar, Kharia, Koch, Pashi, Bindi, Turia, Rawtia, Lalong, Bagdi, and Ghashi in the northeast; and Pankho, Khushi, and Usheyi in the southeastern part of Bangladesh. Discussing some new aspects, it also aims to bring some new sheds of lights in the study of ethno-religious diversity of Bangladesh.