Buddhism in Bangladesh

Buddhism is the third-largest religious group in Bangladesh. It is believed that Buddha visited the region of East Bengal and shared his teachings. Many local people then adopted Buddhism. This was especially true in the Chittagong Division, and later the Pala empire helped spread Buddhism across the Bengal area.

The Somapura Mahavihara is the oldest Buddhist institution in Bangladesh.

Today, around 1 million people in Bangladesh follow the Theravada school of Buddhism, with a smaller number following the Mahayana Buddhists. Most Buddhists, over 65%, live in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and are mainly from groups such as the Rakhine, Chakma, Marma, Tanchangya, Jumma people, and the Barua. The remaining 35% are Bengali Buddhists. Buddhist communities can also be found in cities like Chittagong and Dhaka.

History

See also: Chandra dynasty, Pala Empire, and Khadga dynasty

The earliest statue of Buddha found in Mahasthangarh

Stories say that Gautama Buddha visited this area to share his teachings. Some people became monks to follow him. Buddhism grew more popular later, during the time of Ashoka. The Pala Empire helped spread Buddhist ideas in what is now Bangladesh. They built important places for learning and worship, like Mahasthangarh and the Somapura Mahavihara. A famous teacher named Atisha was born in Bikrampur and taught about Mahayana Buddhism.

Kings from the Chandra Dynasty and the Khadga Dynasty also followed Buddhism. They built temples and monasteries. But when new rulers came in 1202, many of these places were destroyed, and Buddhism began to decline. By the 1980s, most Buddhists in Bangladesh lived near Chittagong. In the 19th century, people worked to revive Buddhism, creating two groups of monks.

In the hills near Chittagong, many Buddhist communities lived, mixing their traditional beliefs with Buddhist teachings.

Demographic overview

People who follow Buddhism in Bangladesh are mostly from the Barua community in Chittagong city, a busy business city. Some indigenous groups from the Chittagong Hill Tracts also follow Buddhism. The Barua people make up most of the Buddhist group in Bangladesh. Other groups such as the Chakma, Chak, Marma, Tanchangya, and the Khyang have practiced Buddhism for a long time. Some tribes, like the Khumi and the Mru, have felt influences from Buddhism, though they mainly follow their own traditional beliefs.

Historical Buddhist Population
Year	Pop.	±%
1951	294,437	—
1961	355,634	+20.8%
1974	428,871	+20.6%
1981	522,722	+21.9%
1991	637,893	+22.0%
2001	862,063	+35.1%
2011	898,634	+4.2%
2022	1,001,974	+11.5%
Source: Bangladesh government census authority

Buddhism in Bangladesh by decades
Year	Percent	Increase
1951	0.7%
1961	0.7%	0%
1974	0.6%	-0.1%
1981	0.6%	0%
1991	0.6%	0%
2001	0.7%	+0.1%
2011	0.6%	-0.1%
2022	0.63%	+0.03%

Buddhist population across Bangladesh
Division	Percentage (%)	Buddhist population ()	Total population
Barisal	0.05%	4,911	91,00,104
Chittagong	2.92%	9,69,630	3,32,02,357
Dhaka	0.05%	20,335	4,42,15,759
Khulna	0.01%	1,006	1,74,15,924
Rajshahi	0.01%	1,123	2,03,53,116
Rangpur	0.02%	3,091	1,76,10,955
Sylhet	0.01%	1,105	1,10,34,952
Mymensingh	0.01%	753	1,22,25,449

Geographical distribution

According to the 2022 census, there are 1,001,974 Buddhists in Bangladesh. Most of them live in Greater Chittagong. The largest groups are in Rangamati District, Khagrachhari District, Chattogram District, Bandarban District, and Cox's Bazar District.

Buddhism in Bangladesh

Upazila	District	Percentage of Buddhism
Juraichhari Upazila	Rangamati Hill District	95.60%
Naniarchar Upazila	Rangamati Hill District	83.18%
Belaichhari Upazila	Rangamati Hill District	78.21%
Lakshmichhari Upazila,	Khagrachhari District	77.73%
Barkal Upazila	Rangamati Hill District	75.81%
Bagaichhari Upazila	Rangamati Hill District	67.99%
Rowangchhari Upazila	Bandarban District	67.58%
Mahalchhari Upazila	Khagrachhari District	61.67%
Rajasthali Upazila	Rangamati Hill District	58.48%
Kaukhali Upazila	Rangamati Hill District	56.76%
Dighinala Upazila	Khagrachhari District	54.54%
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	Rangamati Hill District	48.50%
Panchhari Upazila	Khagrachhari District	47.25%
Guimara Upazila	Khagrachhari District	46.74%
Kaptai Upazila	Rangamati Hill District	45.35%
Thanchi Upazila	Bandarban District	42.34%
Khagrachhari Sadar Upazila	Khagrachhari District	38.50%
Ruma Upazila	Bandarban District	36.80%
Bandarban Sadar Upazila	Bandarban District	36.49%
Alikadam Upazila	Bandarban District	30.54%
Langadu Upazila	Rangamati Hill District	23.74%
Manikchhari Upazila	Khagrachhari District	21.50%
Naikhongchhari Upazila	Bandarban District	19.41%
Lama Upazila	Bandarban District	17.09%
Ramgarh Upazila	Khagrachhari District	14.63%
Raozan Upazila	Chattogram District	6.71%
Matiranga Upazila	Khagrachhari District	5.58%
Ukhia Upazila	Cox's Bazar District	4.99%
Rangunia Upazila	Chattogram District	4.23%
Ramu Upazila	Cox's Bazar District	2.95%
Taltali Upazila	Barguna District	2.54%
Lohagara Upazila	Chattogram District	1.83%
Chandanaish Upazila	Chattogram District	1.81%
Patiya Upazila	Chattogram District	1.74%
Cox's Bazar Sadar Upazila	Cox's Bazar District	1.70%
Boalkhali Upazila	Chattogram District	1.66%
Fatikchhari Upazila	Chattogram District	1.35%
Teknaf Upazila	Cox's Bazar District	1.34%
Mirsarai Upazila	Chattogram District	1.24%
Hathazari Upazila	Chattogram District	1.13%
Others

Buddhist sites

Main article: List of Buddhist viharas in Bangladesh

Somapura Buddhist Vihar dates back to the 8th century AD during the rule of the Pala empire

Bangladesh has many important places where Buddhists gather and pray. One famous site is Somapura Mahavihara in Naogaon. It was built a long time ago and is now recognized for its history. Other important places include Jagaddala Mahavihara in Naogaon, Halud Vihara in Naogaon, Vasu Vihara in Bogra, and Sitakot Vihara in Nawabganj.

Culture

There are many monasteries in the Chittagong area. In Buddhist villages, there are schools where boys can live and learn to read Bengali, the national language, and Pali, an ancient Buddhist language. Men often return to these schools after they finish regular school.

Atisha is one of the ancient priests from the Pala dynasty who is followed within the Bangladeshi Buddhist sects.

Buddhism has mixed with local traditions in the areas where it is practiced. Most religious activities focus on images of the Buddha, and important festivals celebrate events in his life. While Buddhism teaches that the Buddha was an enlightened person, many people also honor other gods and spirits.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs helps care for Buddhist temples and important items. Ancient monasteries at Paharpur (in the Rajshahi Region) and Mainamati (in the Cumilla Region), from the seventh to ninth century A.D., are protected by the government for their historical importance.

Persecution of Buddhists

See also: Freedom of religion in Bangladesh, Bangladesh genocide, and Human rights in Bangladesh

This section talks about hard times for Buddhist people in Bangladesh. Some groups have been treated unfairly because of their beliefs. There have been moments when people were not treated well just for their faith. Some of these events include:

Prominent Bangladeshi Buddhists

Historical figures

Atisa was a Buddhist monk from the 10th century who helped spread Buddhism to Tibet.
Chandragomin was a poet and Buddhist follower from the 7th century from the Varendra region.
Traillokyachandra was a king from the 10th century who followed Buddhist ideas.
Vanaratna (1384–1468 CE) was an important Buddhist teacher in Tibet.