I’m Bangladeshi NOT Indian!

Posted on August 7, 2010

My boss always calls me an “Indian”. I correct him every time. “ Man, I’m not an Indian, I’m Bangladeshi”. He’s always like “Oh well, it’s the same thing”. No, it’s not the same thing, we have a country and we have our own identity. We fought in 1971 against Pakistan to get this identity. We are different from Indian, I correct him again.

Few days later he would be calling me an Indian again. He is American. I know not only Americans but the whole world knows us as “Indian”. Well, I mean most of them.

People know us as Indian? Why? I think in my mind who’s fault is this? And slowly answers come in my mind. It’s us who let other people know us as Indians. I have been here in Hamilton (Canada) for at least 40+ days. I’ve visited some Bangladeshi restaurants here and haven’t found a single restaurant who introduces themselves as Bangladeshi! Why? Because then customers won’t know them. Customers know Indians so it’s easy to sell foods eh? And trust me these restaurants are very popular for their spicy items, not for their names. What if they changed their name to Bangladesh, people would know there is a country named Bangladesh, sigh!

And why would we care about Indians when these people don’t care about us! I made a mistake coming to Canada through India. I will never make this mistake again. I obviously had a Bangladeshi passport and because of that I faced a lot of trouble at the Bombay airport. For this Indians will never get my respect.

But at the end, I look down for whatever is happening around us. Again, it’s us who are letting ourselves down. We don’t have anyone to blame but ourselves. Honestly, I was confused if I should write “Bangladeshi” or “Bengali” in the title. As a nation we are that much confused and divided!

Anyways, I wrote this out of frustration. I hope one day this nation will realize the reality and wake up from sleep. And my personal promise: I will always be proud to let people know that I’m a “Bangladeshi” and I will always introduce this country to rest of the world as a proud nations.

What about you?

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  • http://arafatbd.net Arafat Rahman

    Of course, I’m a Bangladeshi also.

  • Joy

    Yeah, i am Bangladeshi Too, we all are!

  • http://masnun.com Masnun

    Proud to be a Bangladeshi.

  • http://hungrycoder.xenexbd.com The HungryCoder

    Ah, I feel your emotion! While work online I also face same problem! buyer treats me as Indian! I always rectify them, “I'm not Indian, I am Bangladesh”!

    But like you I must admit that we Bangladeshi are some extent coward! For simple business, we (obvious not everyone) even show us as Indian! Just like the restaurants! That's why people treat us as Indian! But problem is that is not much happy news too! Because I have found many employers who are quite dis-satisfied by the professionalism of Indian!

    One thing came in mind:
    Currently a lots of Bangladeshi bloggers are very active online! We can do one thing! In all blog headers (i mean on every pages) we can write something like Bangladesh/Bangladesh/I'm Bangladeshi etc! So, whoever visits the site can know that this site is maintained by a Bangladeshi! At least it will inform some people about our existence!

  • http://www.ashabadi.com/ আশাবাদী

    অবশ্যই বাংলাদেশী হিসেবে পরিচয় দিতে ভালো লাগে। তবে বাংলাদেশী বললেও অনেকে ইন্ডিয়ার ব্যাঙ্গালোরের লোক মনে করে। এইটাই মহা মুশকিল :(

    গত বছর একটা আড়াই ঘন্টার আইআরসি মিটিং-এ মহা আলোচনার পর বুঝা গেলো সেই ওয়েস্টার্নার আমাকে ইন্ডিয়ান মনে করে আলোচনা করে যাচ্ছে এবং সেজন্য সে আমার মন্তব্যের সাথে কোনভাবেই একমত হতে পারছিলো না। পরবর্তীতে তাকে গুগল ম্যাপের মাধ্যমে বাংলাদেশ চিহ্নিত করে দেয়ার পর সে বাংলাদেশ যে একটা দেশ সেটা বুঝলো (হায়!!)

    যাই হোক জুনেল ভাইকে শুভেচ্ছা, আপনি চালিয়ে যেতে থাকেন আপনার বস একসময় না এক সময় আপনাকে বাংলাদেশী মেনে নিবেন (অথবা এটা তিনি করেন আপনাকে খোঁচাবার জন্য, আপনিও পাল্টা তাকে খোঁচা দিন রেড ইন্ডিয়ান বলে :P )

  • http://twitter.com/nine_L Lenin

    The client of yours tries to irritate you intentionally to see how typically you react to that :p
    You can irritate him too if you have a very nice relation. By saying that he's just like other dumb Americans who dont even know against who American's fought their war of independence.

    Also dont forget to mention the “$5 freelancers of India” to your boss :D

  • http://junalontherun.com/ junal

    Lenin bhai, its not all about my boss. It was just an example and i didn't write it because my boss mentioned me as an Indian.

  • http://junalontherun.com/ junal

    Agree! I always use some tags with the name of our country plus i will do the header thing as well. Thanks

  • http://shamimnasir.com Shamim

    I think; this silly matter was started when some time-server people introduced themselves to get Jobs or any other priority in the Indian-dominated area of abroad.

    Hope; within very shorter, Bangladeshis will realize the real truth that, nobody can prosper by having another countryside's sign on own head.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Nhm-Tanveer-Hossain-Khan/518011071 Nhm Tanveer Hossain Khan

    Junal bhai nice to see such igniting post from you.
    i used to mention about two words, “inferiority and superiority” we bangladeshi ppl are greatly suffering from inferior complexion. from my own understanding, i found out it's due to our social, political, educational and parenting misguidance. where our every growing up kids should be taught, we are proud to be bangladeshi, we fought and we hold together to fight against any kinda problem. our parents should encourage their child so that they can stand on their own feet rather depending on anything. our society shouldn't tolerate any kinda social drainage related issue. society should have trained us how to speak loud and bravely. our politics suppose to train us how to utilize our rights to build the better nation.

    i ain't see any issue we won't aware ourselves. i guess putting our efforts together we can begin our journey right from here :)

  • http://junalontherun.com/ junal

    Hasan, like all the time, well said! can't agree more than that

  • http://junalontherun.com/ junal

    Hope so :)

  • Kabir

    Well done brother …
    amiBangladeshi!

  • ibappy

    Proud to be a Bangladeshi!
    I liked hungryCoders suggestions.

  • http://www.fuadbd.net Fuad Ahasan Chowdhury

    Very well said Junal. I've suffered the same situation a lot of times.. I've found almost no one among my about 1000 clients who already knew our nation :@ .. But I proudly told them we are Bangladeshi and let them know about Bangladesh. :p some of my good friends ( sada chamra! ) already voted on n7w for Cox's Bazaar ;) and couple of them already visited here.. tara jarpornai anondito :) amader culture.. respect to others and hospitality dekhe. :)

    I believe the generation Y have more respect for Nation than the typical buddha.. sushil somaj and our honorable politicians!! It's true. and hope some day our sun will shine. I pray for Bangladesh and I'm one of them who is PROUD to born here. Salute to our Freedom fighters.. cheers

  • http://junalontherun.com/ junal

    Thanks everyone! Really appreciate it! Your “like” or “Comments” have value for sure. Now, if you search with “I’m Bangladeshi” or “I’m Bangladesh” on GOOGLE, this post comes in 2nd! So we already have a message on the web you know :)

  • http://junalontherun.com/ junal

    Thanks everyone! Really appreciate it! Your “like” or “Comments” have value for sure. Now, if you search with “I’m Bangladeshi” or “I’m Bangladesh” on GOOGLE, this post comes in 2nd! So we already have a message on the web you know :)

  • Makctg

    “will always be proud to let people know that I’m a “Bangladeshi” and I will always introduce this country to rest of the world as a proud nations.

    What about you?”

    Yes , same with me . From my websites ( bdhire.com , webuildlink.com) I always try to tell where from we are with the purpose to promote my country ( yes my country Bangladesh) . If we all do as you do sooner or later all will know we are different not indians .

  • http://junalontherun.com/ junal

    Thanks, sounds great!

  • Coronji

    I came across a family in Bangladesh on youtube. I saw that the 2 small boys looked half black and the uncle filming them also looked half black. Some were light brown to very dark brown. I wouldn’t say they looked Indian. The kids were beautiful. They black features. One brother had curly hair and the older brother had straight hair.

  • http://twitter.com/angelxmoreno Angel S. Moreno

    you should just call him British or Canadian. When he says “I am not canadian”, reply, its the same thing.

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/YBG3T624DPRIVXHF7MHNFVMBXA klom

    I think Bangladesh like Pakistan is another shithole of a country,, In Dellhi the amount of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh is growing like hell, In UK, the worst food and the worst service can be found at any Bangaldeshi restaurant, that is a guarantee. Some of the places here occupied by bangladeshis in UK are worse than any slums i have seen in Delhi. You people should first learn to live as human beings and learn moral and spiritual values instead of following religion and learn to treat people as equals and respect everything including environment until you do that you will be mistaken as Indians and you will be treated like shit cause the saying is treat others how you want yourself to be treated.. simple..

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/YBG3T624DPRIVXHF7MHNFVMBXA klom

    The amount of bad experiences at Bangladeshi restaurant tells me that I am ashamed that you are put in the same category with Indians.. and I am an Indian..

  • BDlover

    To remove confusion, we should use “Bangladeshi” not “Bengali” because nationality isn’t based on ethnicity, it’s clearly defined by the country name, simple as that!
    I live in Japan and here you will hardly find any single curry restaurant called “Bangladeshi Restaurant” although there is no problem of an unidentified country as posted in the previous comments. Every Japanese I have ever met already know the name of Bangladesh, some of them already visited Bangladesh and the name of Bangladesh has been uttered in TV in several documentaries on Bangladesh.
    Even a special program on Bangladeshi owned “Indian Restaurants” has been broad-casted on NHK revealing the truth behind these(available in YouTube).In an interview a Bangladeshi owner was saying shamelessly that people don’t know Bangladesh so, he is doing business as Indian Restaurant.
    Actually we, the Bangladeshis suffer from inferiority complex since the division of India and Pakistan, we were left as “Chhagoler 3no. Baccha”. If we had damn smart leader that time we could get Independent Bangladesh more than 50 years ago not a colony.

  • http://junalontherun.com/ junal

    +1

  • http://junalontherun.com/ junal

    Guess what, my boss sent me a surprising email. Details here http://junal.posterous.com/we-are-bangladeshi

  • Naomi

    I like the way you say it…that’s so exactly true. I live in Singapore and the moment they see me they call me an Indian and they wont understand me if i say i am a Bangladeshi. they would go “What did you say? I didn’t catch you.” They call a Bangladeshi a Bagla. This is truly not their fault but ours(like mentioned). Some think Bangladesh is a small city in India!!! I am very PROUD TO BE A BANGLADESHI. I always correct them but the problem is that some Bangladeshi can’t be bothered. I can see that people who travel away from Bangladesh are forgeting Bangladesh. They are losing their identity. They compare Bangladesh with stabalised countries. I don’t see why we should compare. We are Bangladeshis and now those living in other countries should promote Bangladesh not compare. Our main goal should be bringing out the best out of who we are and show the world. All we need is some initiative and courage to face those who take us as Indians.

    Nothing wrong with India but we are not them We are Banglasdeshis. We Belong to an Independent Country.

  • http://junalontherun.com/ junal

    Well said Naomi!

  • Ferenc

    Ferenc. Yes it is true! I meet many Indians and Bangladeshi, but really I cant distinct them! The Bangladeshi culture is heavily influenced by the Indian culture. When you heard Bangladeshi women voice in music it sounds like Indian! Before 1971 there were no such country as Bangladesh, historically they were always part of India. Bengali people are by large Indian origin, they speak Indo-Aryan language. Moreover, Indians and Bangladeshi are looks even similarly racially for they are so mixed. During the Mughal rule some Afghans and Turks settled in what is today Bangladesh, but also in India. But they constitute a ruling minority, so only a few Indians or Bangladeshi are their descendants. Just simply to say, the ancestors of the modern-day Bangladeshi are mostly originated from different parts of India. Probably they were low caste Hindus, and when they were ruled by the Turks and Mughals, in Bengal especially they converted in mass to Islam. It is a historical facts! You are Indian origin!!

  • http://junalontherun.com/ junal

    @Ferenc agree with you, almost every country has an origin, our origin was India, it doesn’t mean we are still Indian. Or we have to be known as Indian. Then why we fought in 1971 against Pakistan? We fought for our freedom, we fought for our own culture and identity. We got it, and now we are Bangladeshi, not Indian anymore.

  • Ferenc

    Yes Junal you are right! But technically speaking, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and even Sri lanka are mostly artificial created countries. All of them have their origin in India. I give you just an example: The very name of Bangladesh, is is of Indian origin. The suffix “Desh” in Bangla, which is referred to the language meaning land or place in Hindi! Just like “Andra Pra”desh” or Uttar Pra”desh” or Madhya Pra”desh”, you can see! The word “Uttar” has the meaning of Upper or North, Madhya probably means Middel, or Purba has the meaning of east! The name “Nepal” for example is originated from Sanskrit. There are innumerable similarities in their vocabulary. As I said, during the Turkish and Mughal rule, this nomadic conquerors from Central-Asia has brought many slaves from India and settled down in East-Bengal, they were mostly fishers, farmers etc.. So they served the rurers, sadly but it is a fact that the Indians or common Bengalis has simply no history of their own. They were ruled always by foreigners, it was the history of the Conquerors. I visited both India and Bangladesh, and I see how simmilar even their cities. Old Dhaka looks like any Indian cities, on the subcontinent. Also the kitchen very similar. I know very well, and I studied the history of India.

  • Himel Nag Rana

    “So they served the rurers, sadly but it is a fact that the Indians or common Bengalis has simply no history of their own. They were ruled always by foreigners, it was the history of the Conquerors. I visited both India and Bangladesh, and I see how simmilar even their cities. Old Dhaka looks like any Indian cities, on the subcontinent. Also the kitchen very similar. I know very well, and I studied the history of India. ”

    In that case I must say you were not a curious or studious reader! If you were so, you should have read the stories related to “poundra” or “Isha kha” or even related to western history — how Alexandar the Great was stooped at the face of East of India (that time) now known as Bangladesh. The specific part of land where Bangladesh is currently situated, have never been conquered before “Ikhtiar Uddin Muhammad Bin Bakhtiar Khilji” and the mughals came! It has their own rulers — “Sen Dynasty”, “Paul Dynasty” and Local chiefs of tribes (anthropological or social or business) were the actual rulers. You said you have been here in Bangladesh! Really! Then that time your guide or anyone you took information from were not aware of what I have told you now! Cause if they were so you should be visiting Mahasthangarh or Mynamati or Sonargaon or Recently found architectural spots of Bangladesh instead of visiting any other cities that like India as the cities you can find now in a good shape worth visiting are made in the same period of time.

    I have put certain words in quotes so that you can search and read yourself about those key places or terms. It was to help you to distinguish people of India and Bangladesh! Happy Reading!

  • Dev

    Well, the Indians have made their name(!)……!! Actually, they showed off a lot that people thinks that they are SOMETHING (whatever)….!!! Trust me, all I figured out is, most of the western people who are not so close to to any Indian friend thinks that Indians are different from other human race….!!!!..What a crap…!!! Anyway, as we look the same( not quite) we do take heats for other…..!!! Australia is a proof….!! These both country peoples have a common problem, both are copy cats……..!!! So nothing is identical….!!! Unlike you, some of our country mates loves to be known as Indian…!!! My own cousin is one of them….!!! Look at the Canadians and the Americans…..If you call an American a Canadian or a Canadian an American, some of them will be so pissed to punch you on the face….!!! I guess, many young peoples don’t even know that there is a country named Bangladesh. It’s okay to call us Indian when a person don’t know what country we belong…..But after you correct him and yet he keep calling you an Indian, I’m sorry but that is a an insult…to our nation, our country….!!! Our liberation war is not a joke….. I won’t talk about that, not because i’m only 21 and I didn’t experienced the rage of the war neither do i saw those gores that my father told me about…..But i respect it so much that i’m afraid, my ignorance may lessen its glory……!!!
    I apologize if my words were harsh to anybody.

  • Dev

    The caucasian race is originated from Great Britain….but we can’t call all of them British…….!!! Maybe if I call a Chinese person a Japanese, he may pop his cleaver up and chop me like i’m a fresh piece of meat………!!!! But their origins are same as well…….!!!!!

  • Circlegangboss

    The land that occupies present day Bangladesh was considered East Pakistan prior to 1971 and Pakistan was a part of India till they gained independence in 1947. Therefore, technically, you ARE Indian. Bangladesh wasn’t created till 40 years ago (and by created, I mean, just the name) so before you try to correct him, look at your father/grandfather’s passports – they will say Pakistan or India.

  • Desigirl

    I understand you have great Bangladeshi pride, but please don’t take it personally when your boss calls you Indian. Be proud to be called Indian! I am a proud Indian American girl with parents who were born and raised Bengali Indians.
    There are Bengalis in india too, okay? So chill out!

  • http://junalontherun.com/ junal

    What?! Your comment make no sense. Why the heck should i call myself as bengali indians? India is NOT my country. I’m Bangladeshi!

  • Md.Mostafa Kamal

    As a Bangladeshi thanks for love your nation. I was in NY 8 years. I had the same problem. Finally I came back to my own country. A lots of people from Bangladesh they want to act like western but finally they can not make this way or other way. People from Bangladesh who live in other country what ever you act you have a beautiful country which is Bangladesh. Make your love to Bangladesh and let the world know.

  • Slayerzero_2004

    prior to india, we were tibeto burman and malay tribes. they invaded us 1000 years ago. to call us indian would be like calling mexicans spanish. we’re just mesticized but overestimate how much.

  • Adiba

    prothome apnake  dhonnobad janachchi.. . Allah apnar
    valo koruk….onk subho kamona roilo apnar jonno…:)

  • http://junalontherun.com/ junal

    Thank you @7e2e1b912e3c4c09f45a17eeb3fb2dea:disqus 

  • Mrrahul

    man, iam a Bengali and an Indian but let me tell you we like to treat your country men as ours just because we share the same culture and civilization . everyone is proud of their nationality and rightly so…..i have many friends who live in Bangladesh so i have a little insight to your country . i don’t who why were u unnecessarily heckled in Bombay airport…but let me tell you this we Indians love and respect your country. we are a country with huge diversity and we have people from every religion, background and language living as one. we were one before independence and therefore no question of inequality. india has never attacked and colonised any country in its 2000 yrs of history….i hope you see it in this way and generate a bit of respect for our country and countrymen. please dont see us in such a hostile way its a request from an Indian
       

  • http://junalontherun.com/ junal

    Mrrahul, 

    Thank you, you should know we have huge respect for you guys too. It’s not about how much we respect or disrespect Indians. It’s about our own identity. Of course as a neighbour country we have a great relation with you guys. But that’s not the whole point. What if someone know you ask “Bangladeshi”? Certainly you will protest right? Same thing here, we fought for this identity not to known as others :)

  • Mdnoman_ru_bd

    yes we should.

  • Mdnoman_ru_bd

    i have enormous respect too the indian.