SONALI BAG from Jute | Best Polythene Alternative | Made in Bangladesh

Jute is a traditional financial crop of Bangladesh. At present, over eight lac hectares of land are cultivating jute and related crops. With the United Nations announcement of the year 2009 as "international natural fiber year" and due to increasing of environmental awareness in developed countries, the popularity or use of environmental catastrophes products is declining steadily around the world.

A new era was started by Professor Mubarak Ahmed Khan, chief scientific adviser of the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC). Through the invention of his eco-friendly poly-bag made from jute, a new dream in the jute sector has already started becoming true.

Sonali Bag:

The golden bag is a type of polythene bag made from jute. Professor Mobarak Ahmed Khan, a Bangladeshi scientist, discovered this process of producing polythene bags from jute. After invention of the golden bag, the experimental production began on May 2017 in Latif Bawani Jute Mills. The factory started producing environment friendly 2000 pieces of polybags from Jute's cellulose. Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has named this polythene bag from jute as ‘SONALI BAG’.

Method of making Sonali Bag from Jute:

Structurally, the jute is composed of complex polymers consisting mainly of cellulose 75%, hemicelluloses 15% and lignin 10%. Besides, because of the small amount of fat, wax, nitrogenous matter, beta-carotene and xanthophylls, jute is deciduous and environment friendly. In 2017, Professor Mubarak Ahmed Khan, a noted scientist of the Atomic Energy Commission, invented the Sonali Bag from Jute cellulose which is very much environmentally friendly.

First, cellulose is extracted from the waste jute fibers that are thrown away from the jute mills. These cellulose which is insoluble in water, is subsequently modified using some chemical products. Cross-linkers are mixed with soluble cellulose. The chemical reaction is carried out inside a drawer machine at a particular temperature. It dries out of the machine in the form of plastic sheets. Later the sheet gets polybag shape by cutting. It is possible to get one kilogram of polythene from one kilogram of jute.

More than 50 percent of cellulose is present in the bags produced. This waterproof polybag costs from BD Taka 250 to 300 per kg. But if the bag is manufactured and marketed commercially, the price will be further reduced. Fully digestible and environment friendly, the bag lasts for about five hours in water and then begins to melt slowly. Since there is not any harmful chemicals so it increases soil fertility by completely mixing within 5-6 months. It looks like a normal polythene bags of the market, but it is one and a half times more durable and stronger than usual polyethylene bags. This bag can be used as packaging material for specially made garments and also for storing food items.

Impact of polythene on the environment:

More than one million polyethylene bags in every minute are used in the world. Only one percent of it is processed for recycling and 10 percent is dumped into the sea. These polybags will not digest and won’t mix with the soil for a hundred years. It will harm people with harmful effects, including large numbers of birds and aquatic animals. In Bangladesh, the production of polythene started on a commercial basis in 1982. Due to the excessive use of polythene, in 1998 the sewerage system was disrupted in various cities including the capital of the country. Then, production, marketing and sale of polythene bags were prohibited by law in the country in 2002. Despite various government initiatives, the use of polythene could not be controlled as there was no cheap and other alternative.

Importance as an alternative to polythene:

The importance of polythene made by jute as an alternative to present polythene is understood from the decision to ban polythene that is a serious risk to the environment around the world. Bangladesh has banned the use of polythene with 72 countries of the world. In all countries, there are punishments for the use of polythene but the use could not be stopped. The Kenyan government issued a rule to arrest anyone after seeing with polythene in hand. The Ugandan airport had provisions for arresting anyone with polythene. But since polythene had no alternative, it could not be implemented for long. Ireland's government has imposed additional taxes to reduce the use of polythene bags. Portugal, Spain also started same actions. European Parliament is going to implement a law banning polythene bags in European countries since 2020.

Several countries are interested to buy Sonali Bags from Bangladesh:

Already the Melbourne City Council authorities in Australia have expressed interest in buying the bag to keep the city polythene-free and a US-based business firm in Dubai has placed order to buy 25,000 pieces of polybags a month. On October 2019, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and an NDA were signed with a UK company for commercial production of Sonali Bags from Jute. Recently, countries in the world, including Italy, Brazil, Bhutan, China, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Taiwan, Tanzania, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, have started reducing use of environmental harmful elements, including synthetic polybags.

Various steps of the Bangladesh Government:

Formulation of capital policy EcoTax is being imposed on polythene reforms and use of products. For the protection of the environment the ‘Wrap Act 2010’ has been announced for wrap 17 types of products including fertilizers, sugar, rice etc. For these products the use of jute wrap is mandatory for sale, distribution and supply. The provision for use of wrappers made of all jute-made products is made as a wrapper of the products produced by all public and private organizations. If the use of jute wrapping in the product is fully implemented, the demand for jute bags in the country will increase from 90,000 to 840 million pcs in the country. The government has taken initiatives to establish a Jute Village at a cost of Taka 2,000 crore in 200 acres land beside Padma River to provide the raw materials for making multipurpose jute products. From January 2019, the Bangladesh Jute Mill Corporation has been working to produce 25,000 pcs bags daily. As a result, the future of Bangladesh's golden jute may change.

There is currently a global demand for 500 billion deciduous polybags. If we can produce jute sonali bag to meet this demand of the world, it will start a new trend in Bangladesh economy. Private investment should be encouraged alongside the government. Sonali Bags will be hugely popular as an alternative to polythene bags if the cost can be reduce. Currently investing the entire jute produced in our country, it is possible to meet one third of the global demand. If we can ensure the use of jute fibers internally, it will be possible to get a fair price of the jute, as well as to bring the fallen land under jute cultivation, and to make possible progress in the jute sector. New opportunities for jute will be exposed. And the jute will remove the use of polythene forever that is destroying the environment.

Thanks,

Related:

Rice Varieties in Bangladesh | BINA and BRRI
Bangladesh Economy and Industrial Revolution

Bangladesh | Rice Production and Export

About Bangladesh Center of Advance Studies

Local or Deshi Fruits in Bangladesh

Exotic or Foreign Fruits in Bangladesh

Made in Bangladesh Cars | Introducing BANGLA CAR

Exotic or Foreign Fruits in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has recently achieved considerable success in producing fruits. According to the World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), fruit production in Bangladesh has increased at an average rate of 11 percent per year for the past 18 years, which has not happened in any other country in the world.

Foreign fruits on the soil of Bangladesh:

We call Lichu (litchi) a Bangladeshi fruit. But once, this litchi fruit also came from far away China, and even the name Lichu is not a Bangla name, it’s Chinese. Thus, many of the fruits that we now know as indigenous fruits, have come from abroad and made their way to the soil of our country. They have slowly become popular. That trend continues, and will be in the future.

Over the past decade, at least 20 foreign fruits have arrived in this country. These are Strawberry, Dragon Fruit, Malta, Rambutan, Sour Soap or tok aata, Alobokhara, Mangosteen, Canistel or Zaman Fruit, Passion Fruit, Persimmon, Avocado, Cocoa, Grape, Peach fruit, Cherry, Longan, Saudi Khorma, Bread Fruit, Shantol, Rock Mellon, etc.

There are also many exotic fruits came before, such as almonds. In addition, some fruits that were in this country, but with the advent of some new varieties, there has been a great change in the cultivation and production of those fruits, such as Thai guava. With these varieties of Thailand guava, we can now eat delicious guavas all year long.

Likewise, the delicious mango varieties Katimon which can be found around the year or un-season, Brunei king mango which weighing two or three kilograms, mango palmar in red gourd, long varieties of yellow mango like bananas, and even Amrapali which are soaked in the soil of the country. Thai Jamrul, sweet arbaroi, sweet cinnamon, sweet karmacha, sweet kamranga, color sharifa, dwarfs coconut, non-seasonal watermelons etc are now available here.

Bangladeshi Local Fruits:

The most common and popular fruit varieties that cultivated commercially inside the country, such as jackfruit, mango, guava, banana, pineapple, watermelon, papaya, litchi, coconut, jujube (kul-boroi), various lemons. These are called seasonal conventional fruits of Bangladesh.

Among the obsolete fruits of the country are bell (Bengal quince), Kodbel/bael, tetul (tamarind), Amra fruit (hog plum), olive, Jaam/Jam/Kalojaam (Jambul), jamrul (water apple), gulapjam (rose jaamun), orange, chinar, lukuki/torfoi, deua, kamranga, karmacha, etc. Various wild fruits are bet-fal, chapalish jackfruit, timtoah, akura, butijaam, putijaam, kaufal, boiychi, wood peanut, wild peanut, wild/forest mango etc.

Reduce fruit import:

Due to the scarcity and demand of fruits, there are currently some exotic fruits available in this market. Among these are apples, grapes, oranges, pears, pomegranate, kiwi, dragon fruit, persimmon, mango, avocado, etc. Foreign fruit imports have been gradually declining due to continuous fruit production in the country and interest of human in domestic fruits. The quantity of fruit imported from abroad was around 3,56000 tons in 2017-18 year but in 2018-19 it was reduced to around 3,00,000 tons.

Research on fruits:

A total of 177 modern varieties of 40 different species of fruits have been invented by various research and educational institutes in this country. Of these:

• Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) invented 84 varieties fruits of 35 species
• Bangladesh Agricultural University has invented 84 varieties fruits of 24 species
• Patuakhali University of Science and Technology has invented 7 varieties of 5 species
• Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agriculture University has invented two varieties of two species

In addition, several technologies have been developed for fruit cultivation. Fruit production is increasing day by day with the expansion and use of these varieties and technologies.

Thanks,

Related:

Rice Varieties in Bangladesh | BINA and BRRI

Bangladesh Economy and Industrial Revolution

Bangladesh | Rice Production and Export

About Bangladesh Center of Advance Studies

Local or Deshi Fruits in Bangladesh
SONALI BAG from Jute | Best Polythene Alternative

Weekend Holiday Market in Dhaka City

This year in the Holy Ramadan, the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has approved five special open holiday market at five different places in the capital city Dhaka.

Based on press release signed by Dhaka South City Corporation's Chief Property Officer and Deputy Secretary Mohammad Asaduzzaman, this information was given in a press release on 9^th May, 2019.

Five special open holiday market at five different places are as follows:

Motsho Bhaban- From Carpet Golly to Shilpakala Academy, Motshoya Bhaban:

Kataban Area- From Nalar Par, Kataban first lane towards Shahbagh moor:

Motijheel Ideal School- Front road of the Motijheel Ideal School and College:

Dilkusha Road- Near Bok Chattar (Balaka More) to Pubali Bank link road:

Jatrabari Area- East side of Jatrabari Chourasta:

All of these holiday markets will be temporary basis. These markets will be open from 10.00 AM to 10.00 PM on weekends during the Holy Ramadan.

Related Posts:

Subway in Dhaka City | Will solve traffic Congestion
Azimpur New Market Dhanmondi Circular Bus Service
Super Specialized Hospital at BSMMU

History of Bengal Sultanate | Arabic and Persian Studies | Part 2

Qazi Rukn al-Din Samarkandi was a profound scholar in Islamic learning. He was of Persian origin and a Qazi of Lakhnawati in the time of ‘Ala al-Din ‘Ali Mardan Khalji. His translation of the Sanskrit book Amritkund on yogic system first in Persian and then into Arabic proves his proficiency in both of the languages, and bears witness to their study at the initial period of the Muslim rule in Bengal.

In this chain stands Imamzadah Jalal al-Din son of Jamal al-Din who delivered lectures on Islamic disciplines in the court of Ghiyath al-Din Iwaz Khalji (1212-1227 A.C). Jalal al-Din, a profound scholar in Arabic and Islamics happened to be an inhabitant of Firuz kuh in Persia. These facts lead to substantiate the case for the cultivation of Arabic and Persian learning under the state patronization even at the initial period of Muslim rule in Bengal.

Pertinently it may also be mentioned here that the administration of the country was to be run according to the Shariah. The Diwan al-Qaza or the Department of Justice testifies to the fact that administration of Bengal Sultanate like other Muslim countries was being run broadly on the basis of the Shariah. The sources of Muslim law are four i.e. Al-Quran, Al-Hadith, Ijma and Qiyas. The persons in charge of the department of justice and other important departments of the government were expected to achieve proficiency in Arabic to understand properly the implication and interpretation of laws as embodied in the holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet (Sm).

The epigraphic records bear witness to this fact that Arabic language was given importance for a subject of study in this land. The state language being Persian, the persons employed in the various positions of administrative hierarchy must have possessed mastery in Persian language. Hence it is reasonable to believe that all possible steps were taken to train up expertise personnel’s in Arabic and Persian to run the administration of the country smoothly and in a proper way.

A cogent question arises that how the personnel’s could be trained up in Islamics including the language study and what proper arrangement is provided for that purpose. The answer is simple that establishment of madaris and educational seminaries could be considered as proper way for realizing the purpose. Both epigraphic and literary sources recorded a large number of madaris and educational institutions that sprang up in the capital cities and strategic places of Bengal during the Sultanate period.

Of these educational seminaries Taqi al-Din Arabi’s Madrasah at Mahisu identified with Mahisantosh built in about the middle of the 13th century A.C., Zafar Khan’s Madrasah at Triveni built in 1313 A.C., Darasbari Madrasah of the time of Shams al-Din Yusuf Shah (1474-1481 A.C.), Belbari Madrasah of `Ala al-Din Husayn Shah (1493-1519 A.C.) both situated in Gaur area, Bagha Madrasah of the time of Nasir al-Din Nusrat Shah (1519-1531 A.C.) and Mawlana Sharf al-Din Abu Tawarama’s Madrasah at Sonargaon deserve mentioning.

The syllabi pursued in these academies spread over the various branches of secular and religious subjects. These are highly acclaimed by the scholars and persons interested in their study. To these institutions of learning the students of far-off place flocked together to achieve primary and advanced knowledge in the field of their studies. Usually the medium of instruction was Persian though in higher strata of learning and specialization of subject one might have opted for Arabic. There are evidences to show that during the period of Bengal Sultanate Arabic and Persian studies reached the point of excellence. Scholars of different shades came forward to write books in the subjects of their interest either in Arabic or in Persian which substantiates it.

As for the cultivation and study of Arabic few points are stated here for consideration. The epigraphs of Bengal Sultanate were mostly incised in Arabic. Grammatical mistakes are hardly noticed in the text of the epigraphs. Quotations from the verses of the holy Quran and the traditions of the Prophet (Sm) in the epigraphs testify to the fact that learned persons in these religious sciences were available in Bengal. The madaris and the institutions of learning of this land, as referred to above, bear witness to the existence of ulama who had profound knowledge in religious literature and Islamology.

The courses taught in the madaris laid emphasis on Arabic language and literature. The translation of Amritkund by Qazi Rukn al-Din Samarqandi in Arabic at the capital Lakhnawati in the time of ‘Ala al-Din’ Ali Mardan Khalji and the transcription of Sahih al-Bukhari by Muhammad b. Yazdan Bakhsh in three volumes at Ikdalah in the time of ‘Ala al-Din Husayn Shah lead us to presume that Arabic study was encouraged under Bengal Sultanate.

Historyof Bengal Sultanate | Arabic and Persian Study | Part 1

Source: ARABIC AND PERSIAN STUDIES UNDER BENGAL SULTANATE: AN APPRAISAL

by- Dr A K M Yaqub Ali.

Read other related stories:

European Colonization in Bengal - From 1757 - 1857

Early History of Bengal - Islamization from 1202 to 1757

Early History of Bengal - From 1000 BC to 1202 AD

History of Bengal Sultanate | Arabic and Persian | Part 1

Bengal for her enormous natural resources and moderate climatic conditions had been a covetous country of attraction for the foreigners from the ancient time. Many civilizations in this region grew up and declined with the passage of time since its record in the history. From the historical records it is evident that over this fertile soil of Bengal, the Mauryans, the Guptas, the Palas and the Senas before the coming of Muslims had their sway and contributed a lot to the enrichment of her political, administrative and cultural attainments.

A fragmentary Mauryan Brahmi Inscription paleographically dated in the 3rd century B.C. discovered at Mahasthan twelve kilometers north of Bogra city reveals to us Pundanagala equating with Pundranagara and conclusively identified with Mahasthan, an emporium of Bengal from very ancient time. Archaeological excavation of this mound of Mahasthan unfolds the various starts as of civilization to speak the glorious past of Bengal history. Even in and around the vicinity of Mahasthan are unearthed the ancient relics in the form of viharas and temples which tell her past heritage.

Likewise the Sumapura Vihara of Paharpur in the district of Naogaon district and Shalbana Vihara of Mainamati in the district of Comilla district bear witness to the rich heritage of the ancient Bengal. In this chain of cultural attainments the advent of the Muslims at the beginning of the 13th century A.C. added a new vista of contribution to the history.

Pertinently it may be mentioned here that the Janapada names existed at the advent of the Muslims sank into oblivion and Bengal emerged as a country uniting three administrative divisions of Lakhnawati, Satgaon and Sonargaon. The credit of this unification goes to Sultan Shams al-Din IIyas Shah (1342-1359 A.C.) who assumed the title of Shah-i-Bangala bringing the above mentioned regions under his suzerainty in 1352 A.C. Hence Bengal of the Sultanate period denotes the territorial expanse of Bangladesh and West Bengal of India extending from Rajmahal hill in the west to hilly region of Chittagong in the east and from the Himalayan mountain in the north to the Bay of Bengal in the south.

The time span of Bengal Sultanate began with the conquest of Lakhnawati Kingdom of the Senas by Ikhtiyaral-Din Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji in 1204 A.C. and ended with its annexation to the Mughal Empire of Delhi in 1576 A.C. Arabic as the language of religion and Persian as the language of cultural accomplishment of incoming Muslims got utmost consideration for study during their rule in Bengal.

To see the extent of Arabic and Persian studies during the period of Bengal Sultanate literary and archaeological sources are to be taken into consideration. Arabic, the youngest Semitic language got its recognition among the richest languages of the world as being the language of the holy Quran and the Prophet (Sm) of Islam. With the expansion of Islam over half of the then world just after the demise of the Prophet (Sm), Arabic got momentum as an enriched language to produce voluminous works in all branches of learning for onward transmission to the contemporaneous and to the posterity as well.

In the heydays of Muslim civilization tentatively from the beginning of the seventh century A.C. to the end of the thirteenth century A.C. Arabic became the language of expression and bearer of knowledge in all the Muslim occupied territories of three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe. It did not preclude the cultivation of indigenous language of the countries of their domination. Hence Persian second to Arabic as language got flourishment at the hands of the Muslim rulers since tenth century A.C. and spread all over the Central Asian regions as one of the richest languages of at time.

It is not, therefore, unreasonable to assume that the Central Asian Turks with the rich linguistic heritage of Arabic and Persian entered the Indian subcontinent as the conquerors. In the case of Bengal it is not an exception. The Khalji Turks of Central Asia who entered Bengal as conquerors initiated the cultivation of Arabic and Persian learning by introducing Persian as the court language and establishing madaris where due attention was given for the study of both the languages. This move continued unabated in later times of the rulers and sultans till the end of the Sultanate period.

Click to read the Part -2

Source: ARABIC AND PERSIAN STUDIES UNDER BENGAL SULTANATE: AN APPRAISAL

By- Dr A K M Yaqub Ali

Related stories:

European Colonization in Bengal | From 1757 to 1857

Early History of Bengal | Islamization from 1202 to 1757

Early History of Bengal | From 1000 BC to 1202 AD

Early and Present Dhaka Comparison | Part 1

 

Dhaka, formerly spelled as Dacca in English, is the capital and one of the oldest cities of Bangladesh. The history of Dhaka begins with the existence of urbanized settlements in the area that is now Dhaka dating from the 7th century CE. The city area was ruled by the Buddhist kingdom of Kamarupa before passing to the control of the Sena dynasty in the 9th century CE.

After the Sena dynasty, Dhaka was successively ruled by the Turkish and Afghan governors descending from the Delhi Sultanate before the arrival of the Mughals in 1608. After Mughals, British ruled the region for around 200 years until the independence of India. In 1947, Dhaka became the capital of the East Bengal province under the dominion of Pakistan. After the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, Dhaka became the capital of the new born country.

source: wikipedia

Viewers,
This post contains some images, using which you can make a comparison between the Early and New Dhaka:

Some old Maps of early Dhaka City: 

New Maps of present Dhaka City:

Early Buriganga River beside Dhaka:

Present Buriganga River beside Dhaka:

Early Chawk / Chowk Bazar in Old Dhaka City:

Present Chawk / Chowk Bazar in Old Dhaka City area:

Images of Early / Old Dhaka College:

New pics of Dhaka College:

Thanks a lot for viewing these images.

Related posts in this blog:
Early History of Bengal | Islamization from 1202 to 1757
Early History of Bengal | From 1000 BC to 1202 AD
History of Bengal Sultanate | Arabic and Persian - Part 1
Some Historical and Famous places in Early Dhaka
Dhaka Turning into a City of Glasses
Dhaka City Skyline 2013 | Part 1
Highrise Building in Dhaka City | Part 1

Master Plan around Karwan Bazar

European Colonization in Bengal | from 1757 to 1857

Early Settlements:

The Indian Subcontinent had indirect relations with Europe by both overland caravans and maritime routes, dating back to the fifth century B.C. The lucrative spice trade with India had been mainly in the hands of Arab Merchants. By the fifteenth century, European traders had come to believe that the commissions they had to pay the Arabs were prohibitively high and therefore sent out fleets in search of new trade routes to India.

The arrival of the Europeans in the last quarter of the fifteenth century marked a great turning point in the history of the subcontinent. The dynamics of the history of the subcontinent came to be shaped chiefly by the Europeans' political and trade relations with India as India was swept into the vortex of Western power politics. The arrival of the Europeans generally coincided with the gradual decline of Mughal Power, and the subcontinent became an arena of struggle not only between Europeans and the indigenous rulers but also among the Europeans.

The British East India Company, a private company formed in 1600 during the reign of Akbar and operating under a charter granted by Queen Elizabeth-I, established a factory on the Hooghly River in western Bengal in 1650 and founded the city of Calcutta in 1690. Although the initial aim of the British East India Company was to seek trade under concessions obtained from local Mughal governors, the steady collapse of the Mughal Empire (1526-1858) enticed the company to take a more direct involvement in the politics and military activities of the subcontinent.

Capitalizing on the political fragmentation of South Asia, the British ultimately rose to supremacy through military expeditions, annexation, bribery, and playing one party off against another. Aside from the superior military power of the British, their ascendancy was fostered by the tottering economic foundations of the local rulers, which had been undermined by ravaging dynastic wars and the consequent displacement of the peasants from the land, which was the principal source of state revenue.

Nabab Siraj ud Daulah, governor of Bengal, unwisely provoked a military confrontation with the British at Plessey in 1757. He was defeated by Robert Clive, an adventurous young official of the British East India Company. Clive's victory was consolidated in 1764 at the Battle of Buxar on the Ganges, where he defeated the Mughal emperor. As a result, the British East India Company was granted the title of diwan (collector of the revenue) in the areas of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, making it the supreme, but not titular, governing power.

Henceforth the British would govern Bengal and from there extend their rule to all of India. By 1815 the supremacy of the British East India Company was unchallengeable, and by the 1850s British control and influence had extended into territories essentially the same as those that became the independent states of India and Pakistan in 1947.

The British Raj:

Beginning in the middle of the eighteenth century, when the foundations of British rule were effectively laid, the British government showed increasing interest in the welfare of the people of India, feeling the need to curb the greed, recklessness, and corrupt activities of the private British East India Company. Beginning in 1773, the British Parliament sought to regulate the company's administration. By 1784 the company was made responsible to Parliament for its civil and military affairs and was transformed into an instrument of British foreign policy.

Some new measures introduced in the spirit of government intervention clearly did not benefit the people of Bengal. The Permanent Settlement (Land lease Act) of Lord Charles Cornwallis in 1793, which regulated the activities of the British agents and imposed a system of revenue collection and landownership, stands as a monument to the disastrous effects of the good intentions of Parliament. The traditional system for collecting land taxes involved the Zamindars, who exercised the dual function of revenue collectors and local magistrates.

The British gave the zamindars the status and rights of landlords, modeled mainly on the British landed gentry and aristocracy. Under the new system the revenue-collecting rights were often auctioned to the highest bidders, whether or not they had any knowledge of rural conditions or the managerial skills necessary to improve agriculture. Agriculture became a matter of speculation among urban financiers, and the traditional personal link between the resident zamindars and the peasants was broken. Absentee landlord ship became commonplace, and agricultural development stagnated.

Most British subjects who had served with the British East India Company until the end of the eighteenth century were content with making profits and leaving the Indian social institutions untouched. A growing number of Anglican and Baptist evangelicals in Britain, however, felt that social institutions should be reformed. There was also the demand in Britain, first articulated by member of Parliament and political theorist Edmund Burke, that the company's government balance its exploitative practices with concern for the welfare of the Indian people. The influential utilitarian theories of Jeremy Bentham and James Mill stated that societies could be reformed by proper laws. Influenced in part by these factors, British administrators in India embarked on a series of social and administrative reforms that were not well received by the conservative elements of Bengali society.

Emphasis was placed on the introduction of Western philosophy, technology, and institutions rather than on the reconstruction of native institutions. The early attempts by the British East India Company to encourage the use of Sanskrit and Persian were abandoned in favor of Western science and literature; elementary education was taught in the vernacular, but higher education in English. The stated purpose of secular education was to produce a class of Indians instilled with British cultural values.

Persian was replaced with English as the official language of the government. A code of civil and criminal procedure was fashioned after British legal formulas. In the field of social reforms, the British suppressed what they considered to be inhumane practices, such as suttee (self-immolation of widows on the funeral pyres of their husbands), female infanticide, and human sacrifice.

British policy viewed colonies as suppliers of raw materials and purchasers of manufactured goods. The British conquest of India coincided with the Industrial Revolution in Britain, led by the mechanization of the textile industry. As a result of the British policy of dumping machine-made goods in the subcontinent, India's domestic craft industries were thoroughly ruined, and its trade and commerce collapsed. Eastern Bengal was particularly hard hit. Muslin cloth from Dhaka had become popular in eighteenth-century Europe until British muslin drove it off the market.

Source: Bangladesh, a country study
Federal Research Division, Library of Congress
Edited by: James Heitzman and Robert L. Worden
Research Completed September 1988.
Sources of images and maps: collected from various sources on the internet.

Thanks a lot.

Related posts in this blog:
Early History of Bengal - Islamization from 1202 to 1757
Early History of Bengal - From 1000 BC to 1202 AD
History of Bengal Sultanate - Arabic and Persian - Part 1