The Rajbanshi's Of Bangladesh

The Rajbangshi is small ethnic group of Bangladesh. They entered this country from the Himalayan region and the Brahmaputra valley. They live mostly in Rangpur, Dinajpur and Rajshahi districts and a small number of them in Bogra and Mymensingh.

In 1991, their total population was a little more than five thousand. They are now a declining community in Bangladesh. They are short and have flat noses with raised jaws. They are the followers of Vaisnavism. Some of them recently adopted Islam or Christianity.

Agriculture is the main profession of the Rajbangshi. They are also involved in the fishing industry. Rajbangshi women are adroit at handicrafts and good at running cottage industries. Among the Rajbangshis, the father is the head of the family and only male children inherit the property of their father after his death as a result of a strong patriarchal bias.

Rajbangshis have their own religious rites and rituals related to fertility and procreation. Many are animists, while others worship nature, including mountains, rivers, forests and the soil. Their religious festivals are full of indigenous songs and dances.

Rajbangshis have no written language or alphabet. Their spoken language is considered by many to be a distorted version of Bangla. All of them can speak in their own language as well as Bangla. The Rajbangshis burn the bodies of the dead and organize sraddha after one month of death.