Bangladesh is a country famously known for its well preserved culture. The country still proudly holds most of its country’s ancient culture along the generations that passed. The country’s cultural history was brought to Bangladesh from its early inhabitants who through the generations carried in the many cultural diversities and cultural groups of the country.

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.

There are a number of ways to transfer money to and from Bangladesh. Banks appear to be more expensive and offer less value than money transfer operators.

Banks usually offer their remittance services at a higher value for customers who have accounts with them. The rates on small money transfers are often higher than money transfer operators. Transfers through banks average 5 days, but this time can vary from 2 to 10 days depending on the method used to process the transaction from the receiving banks.

Money Transfer operators (MTOs) tend to have lower rates than banks for small remittances. There is also the convenience of longer operating hours and more locations. MTOs usually take less than 24 hours to process a transfer. In some cases, it can take as little as 10 minutes.

MTOs have better coverage in receiving countries with more outlets spread throughout the region. Some of the larger networks have over 60,000 outlets worldwide.

Security is the number one factor in choosing a money transfer provider. Many times immigrants choose a provider based on word of mouth from someone else that has used the service. Banks are viewed as more trustworthy.

Money transfer operators are viewed as offering better service mainly because this is their main scope of business. MTOs seem be targeted because of the low-value transfers that are the most common form of remittances sent to countries.

Prepaid debit cards are widely becoming a more popular way for people sending money home to relatives and friends. Because of their low cost and the ability to reload the card, it is convenient for the sender and receiver. Companies like ATMCASH offer fees starting as low at $5.00, and is fast becoming one of the leaders in the industry with flat-fee rates for transferring money.

Although banks and MTOs remain the number one choice for immigrants to transfer funds, the competition from debit cards (cash cards, prepaid cards), and online services are increasing in popularity and will soon take the  number one spot for those working abroad to send money back home to the country of origin quickly, securely, and at a substantial savings.