Why Heritage?
Professor Shahruk Rahman
Bengal has been romanticized and eulogized through the centuries by artistes, poets, and singers. The inhabitants of Bengal are called Bengalees, they are a multiethnic people, a mixture of many races, Dravidians, Aryans, Huns, Chinese, and Central Asian tribes. The conquerors entered the Indian subcontinents mostly from the Khyber pass in the West and northern India, By the time they entered Bengal, they had shed their belligerent and aggresseive traits. The gentle geology of region, soon seduced them. They mingled with the people, took local customs, and blended into the landscape. Many foreigners are heard to remark, no Bengali looks alike!
The early inhabitants were animists, then Hinduism swept over the land, after which came Buddhism, and lastly Islam, Interestingly Islam was spread mostly by Arab seafarers, who bonded with local rules. When a ruler embraced Islam, his people usually got converted too. Thus Islam is Bengal did not come through the sword.
Christianity was spread by the Portuguese, and later by the English. Christianity entered Bengal from the East. Monasteries and Convents were established by the French and Irish Orders. Religious harmony prevailed at times.
Bengal had been ruled by many people, the Sens, the Pals the Buddhists, Afghans, Moghuls and lastly the British. So who are true Bengalees and in spite of this diversity, how does one explain this unity, this yearning to establish a unique Bengalee culture, and from where does the inexplicable patriotism, the loyalty for our mother-land for our language, culture, heritage tradition emanate?
The Heritage Foundation will aim to focus on an area where not much attention has been paid, discussed or communicated. Throughout the ages, whenever Bangla was threatened the people defended her with all they had, including their lives. How did a race made up of diverse ancestry unite to defend their language, culture and heritage. It is indeed intriguing The Heritage Foundation will go beyond the existing books and literature on national heritage, Heritage will touch upon the very raison d’etre of this country
While Bangla was unique in the subcontainent, with her tolerant outlook on many issues and a culture which allowed ‘live and let live,’ a ‘laissez fair’ attitude, it was only during the 9th 20th centuries that Bengal experienced a flowering of her culture. The era which produced Tagore, Nazrul Islam, and earlier Bankim Chandra and later Jibonondo Das, echoes with an emotional love for Baengal, This era is often called the Bengal, Renaissance. Partition of India temporarily hated the movement, but in 1948, when attempt was made to clamp Urdo on the Bengalee populace, there was resistance. And this led to the War of Liberation, in the hearts of every Bengalee, was at last achieved. And the miracle was that this independence was achieved by a people who had never wielded arms, who never called themselves a martial race The war fought on the plains of Bengal; freedom was gained in just 9 months. It was perhaps the most glorious period of Bangladesh.
The Heritage Foundation will not only touch upon our history, but also dwell on the post liberation period. Progress has been achieved in practically every field. Many established myths lie disproved. For instance;- Bengalees are not good businessmen.
- Bengalees are doomed to suffer debilitating natural disasters, food shortages, epidemics.
- Bengalees are not a martial race!
- Bangladesh is a so called basket-case.
Our people have shown their mettle, and capacity to become successful business people. They have shown their business flair not only in their won country, but also abroad. As for military skills, Bengaees have earned a reputation as peace Keepers around the world. The Defense Forces are assisting the Govt. in various nation building activities, as a party of the nation, as an indispensable part of the state of the Republic. They are a force born out of the War of Liberation to defend in the words of Walter lippman the core values of the sovereign independent Bangladesh. This is a unique force unlike any other country in the world.
We have successfully managed, like cyclones, floods, and food shortages deadly disease In a matter of 37 years we have come away from the image of a people with a beggar bowl in hand, a basket case!
It is therefore with pride that we have decided to established the Bangladesh Heritage Foundation, Domecracy, National Security, Media and Human Rights Research which will deal with both the past and the past and the future. This foundation will be a forum for exchange of ideas Foundation will trace the achievements of a race called the ‘Vangas’, they early inhabitants of this land, who gave their name to this space, the fertile delta extending from the Eastern plains of the vast Indian subcontinent to the Bay of Bengal!
While Governance will be the main object of our Research, Care will be taken to link our governance issues to our past, the past when we were a rich nation with our exports of fine textiles and Muslin reaching the whole world, including the Roman Empire.
Bangladesh Heritage Foundation (BHF) is a non-political, non-profitable, non-government voluntary and registered charitable organization. The foundation provides a forum for research, policy debate and analysis, dialogue in a wide range of areas.
Professor Shahruk Rahman.
Vice Chairman, Bangladesh Heritage Foundation
President, Zonta Club
1st Vice President, WEAB
