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28 EASTERN HORIZON | FACE TO FACE

Reflection on Buddhism

in Bangladesh

By Dr Sanjoy Barua Chowdhury

Sanjoy Barua Chowdhury is a lecturer at the College of Religious
Studies (CRS) of Mahidol University (MU), Thailand. He holds a Ph.D.
in Buddhist Studies from Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University
(MCU) in Thailand. His research interests include South Asian Buddhist
scriptures, religion-psychology, global mindful movements, and a socio-
cultural anthropological approach to religions. He contributes several
academic papers and articles on Buddhist philosophy, psychology,
and contemporary religious studies. His correspondence emails are
sanjoybarua.chy@mahidol.edu and sanjoybchy@gmail.com. Eastern
Horizon is pleased to publish the following interview between Benny
Liow and Sanjoy.

Benny: Can you share with us your Buddhist who, over the past few centuries, have contributed to the
background since Bangladesh is predominantly a spread of Theravāda Buddhism in Boṅgabhūmi and the
Muslim country? Indian subcontinent.

Sanjoy: Although the majority of Bangladeshi citizens From my early childhood, I was so blessed that I learned
(nearly 90%) identify as Muslims, approximately Buddhist traditions and spiritual guidelines from my
1 million (0.6%) people recognize themselves as native village, Unainpūrā. Saṅgharāj Dr. Dharmasen
Buddhists in modern-day Bangladesh. The Buddhist Mahāthērō, the 12th supreme patriarch of Bangladesh,
communities of Bangladesh are considered one of the was one of my early spiritual teachers who was residing
earliest ethnic societies in the Bengal Delta, having at Unainpūrā. At the same time, I received Buddhist
preserved their unique traditions, including lineage transmission from a Theravāda teacher, Sādhanānanda
and culture, for over two thousand and six hundred Mahāsthabir, also known as Bana Bhāntē.
years. The majority of Buddhists live in the districts
of Chattogram, Kagrachari, Bandarban, Rangamati, Despite the majority community of Bangladesh is not
Cox’s Bazar, and northern Bangladesh. For professional Buddhist, we still have Buddhist traditions and various
reasons, many Buddhists are presently living in Dhaka, masters. My earlier Buddhist background was based on
the capital city of Bangladesh. the teachings of Theravāda masters from Bangladesh.

Raised in a traditional Buddhist family in Chattogram, Even though less than 1.0% of the population of
I grew up in a historical Buddhist village named Bangladesh is Buddhist, it has a rich history steeped
Unainpūrā, located in the Patiya Sub-district of in Buddhism. How does the Government support its
Chattogram. It is worth noting that Unainpūrā, a Buddhist heritage, such as ancient places of worship
prominent spiritual village in Bangladesh, is the and relics and the current-day monasteries?
birthplace of numerous Buddhist scholars and monks As I mentioned in the previous part, Bangladesh has