Bangladeshi

Bangladeshis or Bangladeshi (Bengali: বাংলাদেশী ˈbaŋladeʃi) are the citizens and nationals of Bangladesh, a South Asian country centred on the transnational historical region of Bengal along the eponymous bay.

Bangladeshi citizenship was formed in 1971, when the permanent residents of the former East Pakistan were transformed into citizens of a new republic. Bangladesh is the world's eighth most populous nation. The vast majority of Bangladeshis are ethnolinguistically Bengalis, an Indo-Aryan people. The population of Bangladesh is concentrated in the fertile Bengal delta, which has been the centre of urban and agrarian civilizations for millennia. The country's highlands, including the Chittagong Hill Tracts and parts of the Sylhet Division, are home to various tribal minorities.

Bengali Muslims are the predominant ethnoreligious group of Bangladesh with a population of 150.36 million, which makes up 91.04% of the country's population as of 2022.The minority Bengali Hindu population made up approximately 7.95% of the population of the country according to the 2022 Census Non-Bengali Muslims make up the largest immigrant community; while the Tibeto-Burman Chakmas, who speak the Indo-Aryan Chakma language, are the largest indigenous ethnic group after Indo-Aryan Bengalis.The Austroasiatic Santhals are the largest aboriginal community.

The Bangladeshi diaspora is concentrated in the Arab world, North America and the United Kingdom. A significant number of Non-Resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) have dual citizenship in different countries.

Terminology

After Independence of Bangladesh in 1971, Bangladeshis, as a nationality, have been referred to by various terms:

Bangladeshis, the most widely used term to refer to the citizens of Bangladesh, comes from Bangladesh (meaning "Country of Bengal"), and can be traced to the early 20th century. Then, the term was used by Bengali patriotic songs like Namo Namo Namo Bangladesh Momo, by Kazi Nazrul Islam, and Aaji Bangladesher Hridoy, by Rabindranath Tagore. Bangalees, an exonym for Bengalis, was used between 1972 and 1978 by the Constitution of Bangladesh for all citizens of Bangladesh, despite 2% of the population being indigenous and immigrant non-Bengalis. Under President Ziaur Rahman, the constitutional term was changed to Bangladeshi, as part of efforts to promote Bangladeshi nationalism.The term "Bangalee" is still used to denote people of Bangladesh as a nation.

Demographics

The region of Bengal was settled by people of diverse origins, including Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, Tibeto-Burman and Austroasiatic ancestry, with the most ancient settlements traced back to 4000 BCE. Bangladesh has a 2024 population of 174 million according to United Nations projections.As per as 2020 estimation research, around 13 million Bangladeshis live abroad in various foreign nations.The estimated total population of all Bangladeshis including the ones who are living in their country and abroad is about 187 million as per 2020–21 estimation.

Rural Society

The basic social unit in a village is the family (poribar or gushti), generally consisting of a complete or incomplete patrilineally extended household (chula) and residing in a homestead (bari). The individual nuclear family often is submerged in the larger unit and might be known as the house (ghor). Above the bari level, patrilineal kin ties are linked into sequentially larger groups based on real, fictional, or assumed relationships.

Urban Society

In 2015, 34% of Bangladeshis lived in cities.[95] Dhaka is the largest city in Bangladesh and one of the world's most populous megacities. Other important cities include Chittagong, Sylhet, Khulna, Rajshahi, Bogura, Jessore, Barisal, Comilla, Narayanganj and Mymensingh. Most urban centres are rural administrative towns. Urban centres grew in number and population during the 1980s as a result of an administrative decentralization program that featured the creation of upazilas.