Bangladesh Brief History

Now that I have an end goal in mind consisting of learning about the overall history of Bangladesh, and more importantly, the cultural significance of culinary traditions interconnected throughout the travesties of the country’s past, I can begin with the basic research.

I will be examining recipes that evolved in Bangladesh during or around the 1971 Liberation War, a time of ultimate hardship, displacement, and survival. I would like to know what individuals ate when they were struggling for survival, how were they cooking food when they were low on resources/ingredients, and what can these dishes and their preparations tell us today?

Bangladesh, once East Pakistan, separated from its suppression after a civil war and a genocidal massacre in 1971. Amidst destruction, displacement, and trauma, culinary traditions were still building and keeping spirits high during troubled times. Food was a survival strategy, a resistance form, and even in some instances, the one connection that individuals had to their home and culture. Even in war-torn zones and refugee camps, people found ways to cook rice-based dishes like khichuri with whatever ingredients were at hand. These dishes defined the oppressed individuals of Bangladesh.

Brief History:

    I will begin my recording of Bangladesh history from the mid 1700’s when the British seized control of the Bengal Empire, which consisted of parts of modern day India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. In 1757, the British East India Company defeated Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah of the empire, marking the start of British rule. This loss cost the empire to have their wealth drained leading to social disruption and the famine of 1770 in which millions died off. Some years later, western education began to spread allowing for movements of reform and nationalism.

    Fast forward to the early 1900’s, in 1905, the British divided the Bengal Empire into a predominantly Islamic Eastern state and a predominantly Hindu Western state. However, large protests and disagreements to this formation led to its eventual annulment in 1911. After gaining independence after the war against British rule, British India was divided into India and Pakistan in 1947. East Bengal became part of Pakistan (renamed East Pakistan), while West Bengal remained in India. West Pakistan, now Pakistan, dominated politics over what was then the Bengal state, and attempted to impose the Urdu language over the Bangla language (East Pakistan’s mother tongue, which is modern day Bangladesh). During what became known as the language movement of 1952 or International Mother Language Day, protestors who were protesting the West’s demands and oppressions were killed by the police--a symbol of resistance. Since those times, East Pakistan faced discrimination in resource allocation, political representation, and military presence.

  

    Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, leader of the oldest standing political party of Bangladesh, the Awami League, became a key figure demanding autonomy. In the 1970 general election, the Awami league won a majority, but East Pakistan refused to transfer the power and leadership role. Therefore, a year later on March 7, Sheikh Mujibir Rahman gave his famous speech calling for civil disobedience against the West. The Pakistani army launched Operation Searchlight on March 25, 1971, a brutal crackdown on students, intellectuals, and civilians in Dhaka, sparking the initiation of the Bangladesh Liberation War. Mukti Bahini, or the Liberation Army, fought a guerrilla war against the Pakistani military with superior firepower.

    Throughout the war, around 3 million civilians were killed and millions fled across the border to seek refuge in India. India dispatched military supplies to support the Bengali struggle for independence in December of 1971. The war came to an end on December 16, 1971, with Pakistani forces' surrender at Dhaka, thereby formally bringing Bangladesh into existence as an independent nation.

Steps:

1. Read historical accounts of the Bangladesh Liberation War and explore how food scarcity shaped daily life.

• Identify 1–2 key dishes that have cultural and historical roots in this time period.
  
  

2. Learn how these dishes were made originally (tools, techniques, ingredients)

• Make each dish from scratch as close to the original method as possible, such as milling my own flour or cooking with fire.
  
  

3. Prepare the same dish with modern appliances and store-brought ingredients to compare effort, taste, and meaning.
   
   

4. Take photos, record videos, focus on touch, smell, taste, and emotional connection.
   
   

5. Compile everything into a blog, short documentary, or presentation that highlights the emotional and historical value of traditional cooking.