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Bishnupriya Manipuris are better educated than the average Bangladeshi: Report


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Bishnupriya Manipuris of Bangladesh “are generally better educated than the average Bangladeshi. Nearly all children go to school, with a very high percentage taking the secondary school certificate (SSC) examination, and their level of literacy in Bangla is very high,” states a survey carried out by SIL International, Bangladesh.

The 100-page report gives a glimpse of the status of the 20,000 to 40,000 Bishnupriya Manipuri population living in Bangladesh: The language proficiency they have on both Bishnupriya Manipuri and Bangla, about their two main dialects 1) Rajar Gang (or king’s-village speech), and 2) Madoi Gang (or queen’s-village speech). The study also touches upon the areas and districts where the community is concentrated. It gives an insightful read to every Bishnupriya Manipuri living in India and in Bangladesh.

In Bangladesh, almost all of the Bishnupriya (Manipuri) live in the flat farmlands of Sylhet division, mainly in Moulvibazar district. They also reside in a few villages in the other three districts of Sylhet division. The vast majority of Bishnupriya villages are easily accessible by a combination of public buses and/or rickshaws, as they are quite close to main roads and towns, the report states.

In the preparation of the report, the authors Amy Kim and Seung Kim have extensively used the informative web pages created by Ashim Kumar Singha.

The report cites that the Bishnupriya Manipuris in Bangladesh have a strong attachment to the traditions of the past and a deep desire to appropriate the trends of the present. As a minority community, the Bishnupriya (Manipuris) seem to have an innate sense that both are vital for their standing in the world in the future.

Full Report



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