Bangladesh Splendours of the Past

Bangladesh: Splendours of the Past presents a pictorial account of the heritage of Bangladesh. It covers a timeframe from the 2nd Century BC to roughly the 18th Century, focussing chiefly on three periods – the Buddhist, the Hindu and the Muslim – which represent the cultural heritage of Bangladesh at its best. Bangladesh has a glorious past which saw the Bengal genius attain dizzying heights in sculpture, architecture and education.

In the 8th Century, Bangladesh had great universities like Somapura Vihara and Salban Vihara and her scholars were paying visits to China, Tibet, Sri Lanka and the Far-East on royal invitations. The excellence achieved in temple architecture was emulated in the Far-East. The Buddhist and Hindu periods saw the chiselling of some of the most charming images in stone. The Muslim Sultans built some of the exquisite mosques and were responsible for making education a universal phenomenon. The literature and language which Bangladeshis are so proud of, got the most generous patronage of the independent Sultans.

The book is going to be an eye-opener to the Western media who have so far exploited the tales of misery and poverty of a land which has a golden past and a great potential to shape its future.