Bangladeshis regard democracy as an important legacy of their bloody war for independence and vote in large numbers. Bangladesh introduced the caretaker system in 1991 after military president Hossain Mohammad Ershad was toppled through a people’s uprising led jointly by Khaleda and Sheikh Hasina, who now heads the main opposition party, the Awami League.

Bangladesh is a developing country with poor infrastructure. Bangladesh is ranked 27th out of 30 countries in the Asia Pacific region. Bangladesh has ratified all the main international human rights treaties. After its independence, Bangladesh became a parliamentary democracy, with Mujib as the Prime Minister. Meanwhile the Bangladesh Military has expressed their interest in controlling the country with statements like “own brand of Democracy” and making changes in the constitution to allow military participation in politics.

Straddling in the Tropic of Cancer, Bangladeshi climate is tropical with a mild winter from October to March, a hot, humid summer from March to June. The region has been a source for ethnic tension since the inception of Bangladesh. The Bengali language boasts a rich literary heritage, which Bangladesh shares with the Indian state of West Bengal. Due to a number of factors, Bangladesh’s labor-intensive agriculture has achieved steady increases in food grain production despite the often unfavorable weather conditions. Currently, Bangladeshi entrepreneurs generally suffer from lack of funding as many banks are reluctant to invest in industry and have instead turned their attention to consumer credit.

1974, Pakistan agreed to recognize the independent state of Bangladesh. In addition, the Consulate Generals complement the efforts of the Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington DC to advance the economic, cultural, immigration and other interests of Bangladesh in the United States. The first government of the new nation of Bangladesh was formed in Dhaka with Justice Abu Sayeed Choudhury as President, and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (“Mujib”) who was released from Pakistani prison in early 1972 – as Prime Minister.

One of the country’s well-preserved ethnicity is the Bangladeshi’s cultural dance. The country’s cultural dances are common to the Middle Eastern dances. These cultural dances are associated with weddings and certain activities like harvesting, planting, fishing and others which mirrors the Bangladeshi’s way of life.

There are many cultural dances in Bangladesh, and each occasion has requires a specific dances. Here are some of the cultural dances of Bangladesh:

• Chhau dance – which is a form of masked dance performed in the western regions of Bengal. It is a martial arts dance wherein the dancers wear attires together with swords and shields. Each dancers portray different characteristics and roles such as gods, demons and animals. It is more like a dance role playing. Chhau dance can be performed during any occasions.

• Chhokra dance – performed by young Bangladeshi boys portraying the roles of women. The dance is presented in an open field preferably in a canopied stage. The Chhoka dance is accompanied by a large team of singers and musicians who are commonly seated on the sides of the stage.

• Lathi dance – is a stick dance performed during the Muharram celebration which is the “Sacred month” of the Islam. This is celebrated during the fist month of the Hegira or the Islamic calendar. This dance is performed by youth groups that wear tight-fitted clothes and carry daggers, swords and cymbals.

• Kali dance – performed by a dancer wearing a black mask and representing the character of the goddess Kali who is a Hindu goddess which is said to be associated with eternal powers. Kali is known to be the goddess of time and change. The drum is the main instrument being played during the Kali dance.

• Ghatu dance – performed with accompanying Ghatu songs which are Bangladesh native folk songs. The name Ghatu was derived if the name Ghat which means ‘river bank’. The Ghatu dance was mainly for entertainment and is not a religious dance. This is a form of dance performed by young boys dressed like girls which are the main attraction of the dance.

There are other numerous cultural dances in Bangladesh. These dances each are very entertaining and fun to watch. Dances are still being performed these days, which is one of the main attractions in Bangladesh.