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The national language and official language of Bangladesh is
Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
according to the third article of the
Constitution of Bangladesh The Constitution of Bangladesh ( bn, বাংলাদেশের সংবিধান — ), officially the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh ( bn, গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশের ...
. The second most spoken language in Bangladesh is claimed to be Burmese which is spoken by the Marma tribe in Chittagong Hill districts as the districts border Myanmar; it is also spoken by the Rohingya people. 98% of
Bangladeshis Bangladeshis ( bn, বাংলাদেশী ) are the citizens of Bangladesh, a South Asian country centered on the transnational historical region of Bengal along the eponymous bay. Bangladeshi citizenship was formed in 1971, when th ...
are fluent in Bengali (including dialects) as their first language.
Bengali Language Implementation Act, 1987 Bangla Bhasha Procholon Ain, 1987 ( bn, বাংলা ভাষা প্রচলন আইন, ১৯৮৭, lit=Bengali Language Implementation Act, 1987) is an Act by the Government of Bangladesh to implement and enforce the article 3 of the ...
made it mandatory to use Bengali in all government affairs except in the cases of foreign relations. According to a 2011 census, Bengali is predominantly spoken by 98% of the country's population and it also serves as the national language of the nation. The
indigenous people Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
of northern and southeastern Bangladesh speak a variety of native languages.


Indo-Aryan languages

The lowlands of Bangladesh form the larger, central, and eastern half of the
ethno-linguistic Ethnolinguistics (sometimes called cultural linguistics) is an area of anthropological linguistics that studies the relationship between a language and the nonlinguistic cultural behavior of the people who speak that language. __NOTOC__ Examples ...
region of
Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predo ...
and the
Bengali language Bengali ( ), generally known by its endonym Bangla (, ), is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Bengal region of South Asia. It is the official, national, and most widely spoken language of Bangladesh and the second most widely spoken of ...
is spoken by the majority of the country's inhabitants i.e. the
Bengalis Bengalis (singular Bengali bn, বাঙ্গালী/বাঙালি ), also rendered as Bangalee or the Bengali people, are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the Bengal region of S ...
. There are also some Eastern Indic language varieties, which are variously classified either as dialects of Bengali or separate but closely related languages. They can be thought of as forming a dialect continuum. * Bengali branch: **
Standard Bengali Bengali ( ), generally known by its endonym Bangla (, ), is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Bengal region of South Asia. It is the official, national, and most widely spoken language of Bangladesh and the second most widely spoken of t ...
: spoken all over the country – originally the dialect of Nadia region (partly in Khulna Division), very close to dialect in the rest of Khulna Division **
Bangali Bengalis (singular Bengali bn, বাঙ্গালী/বাঙালি ), also rendered as Bangalee or the Bengali people, are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the Bengal region of S ...
: General Eastern Bengali dialect spoken (beside Standard Bengali) in the central region (Greater Dhaka Division, i.e. Dhaka, and parts of Mymensingh and Barishal Divisions). ** Chittagonian: Spoken by Chittagonians in the southeastern districts of Chittagong,
Cox's Bazar Cox's Bazar (; bn, কক্সবাজার, Kôksbajar; ) is a city, fishing port, tourism centre, and district headquarters in Southeastern Bangladesh. It is located south of the city of Chittagong. Cox's Bazar is also known by the n ...
and also by migrants to the
Chittagong Hill Tracts The Chittagong Hill Tracts ( bn, পার্বত্য চট্টগ্রাম, Parbotto Chottogram), often shortened to simply the Hill Tracts and abbreviated to CHT, are group of districts within the Chittagong Division in southeas ...
. ** Sylheti: Spoken by
Sylhetis The Sylheti () are an Indo-Aryan ethnocultural group that are associated with the Sylhet region in South Asia, specifically in northeast of Bengal presently divided between the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh, and the Barak Valley of Assam, Indi ...
in the Northeastern region of Surma Valley ( Sylhet Division) and also spoken in India's
Barak Valley The Barak Valley is located in the southern region of the Indian state of Assam. The region is named after the Barak river. The Barak valley consists of three administrative districts of Assam - namely Cachar, Karimganj, and Hailakandi. Th ...
and
Hojai district Hojai District is a district in Assam, India. It was formed on 15 August 2015. The headquarters of the district is situated at Sankardev Nagar, which is about 8 km away from Hojai town. Hojai District was formed from three tehsils of Nag ...
. **
Dhakaiya Kutti Dhakaiya Kutti ( bn, ঢাকাইয়া কুট্টি, Dhakaiya Kutti, Dhakaiya of the rice-huskers), also known as Old Dhakaiya ( bn, পুরান ঢাকাইয়া, Purān Dhākāiyā) or simply Dhakaiya, is a Bengali diale ...
: Spoken in Old Dhaka by the
Dhakaiyas The Old Dhakaites ( bn, পুরান ঢাকাইয়া, Puran Dhakaiya) are an Indo-Aryan ethnocultural group viewed as the ''original'' inhabitants of Dhaka. They are sometimes referred to as simply Dhakaiya. Their history dates bac ...
**
Noakhailla Noakhailla (), also known by the exonym Noakhalian, is a dialect of Bengali, spoken by an estimated 7 million people, primarily in the Greater Noakhali region of Bangladesh as well as southern parts of Tripura in India. Outside of these regions, t ...
: Spoken by the Noakhaillas in the Eastern districts of
Noakhali Noakhali ( bn, নোয়াখালী, , New canal), historically known as Bhulua ( bn, ভুলুয়া), is a district in southeastern Bangladesh, located in the Chittagong Division. It was established as district in 1821, and officia ...
, Feni and
Lakshmipur Lakshmipur ( bn, লক্ষ্মীপুর , Lokkhipur) is a city and headquarter of Lakshmipur District in the Chittagong Division Chittagong Division, officially known as Chattogram Division, is geographically the largest of the ei ...
as well as some areas in
Greater Comilla Meghna Division ( Bengali: মেঘনা বিভাগ) is a proposed administrative division within Bangladesh for the north-western parts of the existing Chittagong Division, comprising Brahmanbaria, Comilla, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni, and ...
and northern Chittagong district. ** Varendri: Spoken by the people of the Western region (
Rajshahi Division Rajshahi Division ( bn, রাজশাহী বিভাগ) is one of the eight first-level administrative divisions of Bangladesh. It has an area of and a population at the 2011 Census of 18,484,858. Rajshahi Division consists of 8 district ...
); part of the North Bengal dialects which also includes Rangpuri ** Rangpuri: Spoken by people of the northern region ( Rangpur Division); closely related to Varendri. ** Chakma: Spoken in the Chittagong Hill Tract Region. Unrelated to the Tibeto-Burman languages that are commonly found in the region. Very similar to Chittagonian. ** Bishnupriya Manipuri: An
Indo-Aryan language The Indo-Aryan languages (or sometimes Indic languages) are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family. As of the early 21st century, they have more than 800 million speakers, primarily concentrated in India, Pa ...
by the Bishnupriya Manipuri people who live in Bangladesh. Bishnupriya Manipuri is distinct from the Bengali languages and contains many features and elements of the Tibeto-Burman languages. ** Hajong: Originally a Tibeto-Burman language that has shifted over time to an Indic language. ** Rohingya: Originally spoken in
Rakhine State Rakhine State (; , , ; formerly known as Arakan State) is a state in Myanmar (Burma). Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State to the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region to the east, the Bay of Bengal ...
, Myanmar and by refugees from that region, mainly living in Bangladesh's Chittagong Division. Similar to Chittagonian. ** Tangchangya: spoken by the Tanchangya people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. It is closely related to Chakma. *
Sadri Sadri is a municipality in the Pali district of Rajasthan, India. It is considered the gateway to Marwar from Mewar. Sadri is one of the main places of worship for the Jain community. Ranakpur Temple and Shri Parshuram Mahadev Mandir are locate ...
: Also a major language of Jharkhand, India. Spoken widely in tea estates throughout Bangladesh by indigenous people who have abandoned their old language. *
Bihari languages Bihari is a group of the Indo-Aryan languages. The Bihari languages are mainly spoken in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh and also in Nepal.Brass, Paul R. (1974). ''Language, Religion and Politics in North Ind ...
: Spoken primarily by the Bihari Muslims from Bihar, India who came during Partition.


Non-Indo-Aryan languages

The indigenous languages of the region are members of the Austroasiatic, Dravidian and Tibeto-Burman families. Most of these languages are spoken in mountainous areas.


Austroasiatic languages

While the more widely spoken and better-known
Austroasiatic languages The Austroasiatic languages , , are a large language family in Mainland Southeast Asia and South Asia. These languages are scattered throughout parts of Thailand, Laos, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Nepal, and southern China and are t ...
are spoken in Southeast Asia (e.g. Khmer and Vietnamese), smaller languages of that family are spoken by indigenous communities of northern and eastern Bangladesh. There are two branches of Austro-Asiatic represented in Bangladesh. * Khasi: Spoken in Sylhet division. Also a major language of Meghalaya, India * Pnar: spoken in Sylhet division * War: spoken in Sylhet Division * Santali: spoken in Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions. Widely spoken in West Bengal and Jharkhand, India * Mundari: spoken in Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions. *
Koda KODA (99.1 FM, "Sunny 99.1") is an American commercial adult contemporary-formatted radio station in Houston, Texas. The station is owned by iHeartMedia. Its studios and offices are located along the West Loop Freeway in Uptown Houston. KODA ...
: spoken in Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions.


Dravidian languages

Two Dravidian languages are spoken in Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions in western Bangladesh. * Kurukh - some Kurukh people live in Sylhet tea gardens but mainly speak Sadri * Sauria Paharia


Tibeto-Burman languages

The mountainous areas along the northern and eastern edges of the Indian Subcontinent are inhabited primarily by speakers of Tibeto-Burman languages. Indigenous Tibeto-Burman-speaking communities are found through the northern, eastern, and especially the southeastern parts of Bangladesh, primarily the Chittagong Hill Tracts. * Arakanese: Also called Arkani or Marma or Rakhine language. Mainly spoken in Chittagong Hill Tracts and southern Cox's Bazar. Also a major language in
Rakhine state Rakhine State (; , , ; formerly known as Arakan State) is a state in Myanmar (Burma). Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State to the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region to the east, the Bay of Bengal ...
, Myanmar. * A'Tong: spoken in Mymensingh division. * Chak: spoken in Chittagong Hill Tracts. *
Chin languages The Kuki-Chin languages (also called Kuki-Chin-Mizo, Kukish or South-Central Tibeto-Burman languages) are a branch of 50 or so Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in northeastern India, western Myanmar and southeastern Bangladesh. Most speakers of th ...
: spoken in Chittagong Hill Tracts ** Asho ** Bawm ** Falam ** Haka ** Khumi **
Mara Mara or MARA may refer to: Animals *Mara (mammal), a species of the cavy family *Mara the Lioness, in the movie ''Born Free'' Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Mara (''Doctor Who''), an evil being in two ''Doctor Who'' serials *Mara, ...
* Koch: spoken in Mymensingh Division *
Garo Garo may refer to: People and languages * Garo people, a tribal people in India ** Garo language, the language spoken by the Garo tribe Places * Kingdom of Garo, a former kingdom in southern Ethiopia * Garo, Colorado * Garo Hills, part of th ...
: mainly spoken in Mymensingh division. Also a major language of Meghalaya, India. * Megam: closely related to Garo, spoken in Mymensingh division * Meitei (Manipuri): spoken in Sylhet division. Also a major language of Manipur State, India * Mizo: spoken in Chittagong Hill Tracts. Also a major language of
Mizoram Mizoram () is a state in Northeast India, with Aizawl as its seat of government and capital city. The name of the state is derived from " Mizo", the self-described name of the native inhabitants, and "Ram", which in the Mizo language means "lan ...
State, India * Mru: spoken in Chittagong Hill Tracts. * Pangkhua: spoken in Chittagong Hill Tracts * Tripuri: Spoken in Chittagong Hill Tracts. A major language of
Tripura Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a population of 36.71 lakh ( 3.67 million). It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the east ...
State, India


Other languages


English

Before the commencement of the Bengali Language Implementation Act, 1987, English had a considerable presence in official affairs, but since 1987 the usage of English has waned significantly in government. Due to the British colonization of the country, English is still a widely spoken and commonly understood language in Bangladesh. English is taught as a compulsory subject in all schools,
colleges A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...
and universities. In addition, there is an English-medium education system in Bangladesh which is widely attended. The
British Council Bangladesh British Council Bangladesh is the Bangladeshi branch of the British Council that provides English and British Education and takes part in cultural exchanges. The main office is located in Dhaka and branches are located in Chittagong, Sylhet. Tom ...
offers English language courses. Similar to the situation in other SAARC nations, there are significant disparities in English-language knowledge; a significant portion of the population speaks English fluently or even natively (especially among the educated class), while an even larger portion of the population has little to no knowledge of English. Among the middle and upper class, many can read and write fluently due to professional requirements, but may have difficulty speaking English. During the colonial period, laws were written in English. Currently, most laws are written in Bengali, the exception being amendments to laws passed before 1987, which are generally written in English. Many legal, administrative, and financial forms used by the government and banks are in English only. English is also used in the judiciary.


Arabic

Since the conquest of Bengal by
Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji Ikhtiyār al-Dīn Muḥammad Bakhtiyār Khaljī, (Pashto :اختيار الدين محمد بختيار غلزۍ, fa, اختیارالدین محمد بختیار خلجی, bn, ইখতিয়ারউদ্দীন মুহম্মদ � ...
in 1203 CE,
Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walte ...
() enjoyed the status of being an official language up until the
British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
period. However, its presence dates back to the 8th century CE, as a language of trade. In the 13th century, Muslim preacher Taqiuddin al-Arabi established what is thought to be the earliest Islamic institution in Bangladesh that has intact ruins.
Arabic literature Arabic literature ( ar, الأدب العربي / ALA-LC: ''al-Adab al-‘Arabī'') is the writing, both as prose and poetry, produced by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is '' Adab'', which is derived from a ...
began to flourish first in medieval Bengal with works like (12th century) by Qadi Ruknuddin Samarkandi, by
Abu Tawwama Sharaf ad-Dīn Abū Tawʾamah ( ar, شرف ٱلدِّيْن أبُو تَوْأَمَة, bn, আবু তাওয়ামা) was an Islamic scholar, author and muhaddith based in the subcontinent. He played a large role in disseminating Islam ...
, (1280s) by Kamiluddin bin Karim as well as the many works of 14th-century Bengali scholar Nur Qutb Alam. Islamic scholar Muhammad ibn Yazdan Bakhsh Bengali transcribed three volumes of Sahih al-Bukhari by hand in Ekdala, and gifted it to the Sultan
Alauddin Husain Shah Ala-ud-din Husain Shah ( bn, আলাউদ্দিন হোসেন শাহ (1494–1519)Majumdar, R.C. (ed.) (2006). ''The Delhi Sultanate'', Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, pp.215-20 was an independent late medieval Sultan of Bengal, who ...
. The manuscript of this work is currently kept at the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library in the neighbouring
Republic of India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
. Until today, Arabic literature relating to Islam continues to be regularly written and published by Bangladeshis such as
Sultan Zauq Nadvi Sulṭān Zauq Nadvī ( bn, সুলতান যওক নদভী) is a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar, author and the founder of Jamia Darul Ma'arif Al-Islamia. He is known mainly for his expertise in and contribution to Arabic language and lite ...
and
Muhammad Abdul Malek Muḥammad ʿAbd al-Mālik ibn Shams al-Ḥaqq ibn ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān ibn Ummīd ʿAlī al-Kumillāʾī ( ar, محمد عبد المالك بن شمس الحق بن عبد الرحمن بن أميد علي الكملائي; born 29 August 1969), ...
. Despite losing an official status from the colonial times onward, the Arabic language is used in many Muslim congregations such as the weekly Friday prayer in which a sermon ( khutbah) is given in Arabic, in addition to Bengali. The
Constitution of Bangladesh The Constitution of Bangladesh ( bn, বাংলাদেশের সংবিধান — ), officially the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh ( bn, গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশের ...
begins with the Arabic phrase بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ which is translated as “In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful”. Arabic is the religious language of Muslims. The Quran, Sunnah, Hadith and Muslim theology is taught in Arabic with Bengali translation. The
Bangladeshi diaspora The Bangladeshi diaspora ( bn, প্রবাসী বাংলাদেশী) are people of Bangladeshi birth or descent who live outside of Bangladesh. First-generation migrants may have moved abroad from Bangladesh for various reasons in ...
living in the Middle East has further increased the number of people who can speak Arabic in Bangladesh. Arabic is taught as a religious language in mosques, schools, colleges, universities and
madrassahs Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
as well as in tradition
Bengali Muslim Bengali Muslims ( bn, বাঙালি মুসলমান; ) are adherents of Islam who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis. Comprising about two-thirds of the global Bengali population, they are the sec ...
households. Today, Arabic is an obligatory subject in the Madrasah education of Bangladesh. A majority of Bangladesh's Muslim population has had some form of formal or informal education in the reading, writing, and pronunciation of the Arabic language as part of their religious education. Arabic has also influenced the Bengali language greatly, thus it is not uncommon to hear Arabic terminology in Bangladeshi speeches and rallies. One example of this is the
7 March Speech of Bangabandhu The 7 March Speech of Bangabandhu was a public speech given by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Founding Father of Bangladesh on 7 March 1971 at the Ramna Race Course (now Suhrawardy Udyan) in Dhaka to a gathering of over two million (2,000000) peo ...
, which makes mention of ''
Inshallah ''In sha'Allah'' (; ar, إِنْ شَاءَ ٱللَّٰهُ, ʾIn shāʾ Allāh ), also spelled In shaa Allah, InshAllah, Insya Allah and İnşAllah is an Arabic language expression meaning "if god wills" or "god willing". It was mentioned i ...
'' ('God-willing') towards the end, in addition to the many Arabic-origin Bengali words used.


Persian

From ancient times, Bengal and Persia had been in contact with each other and there were many trading posts around coastal Bengal. As people converted to Islam, they became acquainted with Persian, the language of the Sufi preachers. Bengal witnessed an influx of Persian scholars, lawyers, teachers and clerics. The influence of the language spread rapidly after it gained the status of court language for over 600 years (1203–1837 AD) under the Delhi Sultanate,
Bengal Sultanate The Sultanate of Bengal ( Middle Bengali: শাহী বাঙ্গালা ''Shahī Baṅgala'', Classical Persian: ''Saltanat-e-Bangālah'') was an empire based in Bengal for much of the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. It was the dominan ...
and
Bengal Subah The Bengal Subah ( bn, সুবাহ বাংলা; fa, ), also referred to as Mughal Bengal ( bn, মোগল বাংলা), was the largest subdivision of the Mughal Empire (and later an independent state under the Nawabs of Benga ...
. Thousands of Persian books and manuscripts were published in Bengal. The period of Sultan
Ghiyathuddin Azam Shah Ghiyasuddin A'zam Shah ( bn, গিয়াসউদ্দীন আজম শাহ, fa, ) was the third Sultan of Bengal and the Ilyas Shahi dynasty. He was one of the most prominent medieval Bengali sultans. He established diplomatic relatio ...
's reign is described as the "golden age of
Persian literature Persian literature ( fa, ادبیات فارسی, Adabiyâte fârsi, ) comprises oral compositions and written texts in the Persian language and is one of the world's oldest literatures. It spans over two-and-a-half millennia. Its sources h ...
in Bengal". Its stature was illustrated by the Sultan's own correspondence and collaboration with the Persian poet Hafez; a poem which can be found in the '' Divan of Hafez'' today. Presently, Persian is taught in some madrasas, mostly those belonging to the
Befaqul Madarisil Arabia Bangladesh Befaqul Madarisil Arabia Bangladesh ( bn, বেফাকুল মাদারিসিল আরাবিয়া বাংলাদেশ, ar, وفاق المدارس العربية بنغلاديش) is the largest Qawmi madrasa education ...
board, as well as at the University of Dhaka.
Dobhashi Dobhashi ( bn, দোভাষী, Dobhāṣī, bilingual) is a neologism used to refer to a historical register of the Bengali language which borrowed extensively, in all aspects, from Arabic and Persian. It became the most customary form for c ...
refers to a historical register of Bengali with significant Persian influence, similar to the influence of Persian on Urdu.


Urdu

Urdu (اردو) was an official language in post-partition 1947 to 1971. It is still spoken by the settlers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. They are living in Saidpur, Dhaka particularly Old Dhaka, and other parts of Bangladesh.


References


Further reading

* UNESCO
"Bangladesh: Some endangered languages (information from Ethonologue, UNESCO)"
June 2010.


External links


Ethnologue report for Bangladesh


{{Asia topic, Languages of