Bangladeshi

[Jolie]

Re: Bangladeshi

@Deeba1234

Well if that was true the saree would not be the national dress, would it?

(I mean the saree how most in Bangladesh wear it with the short blouse and tummy showing.. there are exceptions like Sylhetis who tend to be more conservative and those from Noakhali etc. but the majority of people in Dhaka, Khulna etc won’t bat an eyelid nowadays if a dupatta isn’t worn and when the azaan is called we aren’t even expected to cover our heads anymore, not in the larger places anyway.. Unlike Pakistan Bangladesh is a secular country after all and even if the people are mostly Muslim religion does not play as great a role)

Surely there’s more to Bangladesh than just Dhaka? That’s like Pakistanis calling their country super liberal and so content with ‘skin show’ on the basis of life in Islamabad, Lahore etc.

You’d find that the attitude is very similar in Pakistan. Of course there are changing trends on national level, then there are family customs and rules still intact. So if you’re family is still very strict about covering your head while the Azaan is going on, then that’s just another family rule come tradition. But if you are out an about on the streets of Lahore or Islamabad/Pindi, no one will ‘bat an eyelid’ if women don’t cover their heads with duppata. I don’t.

In regards to saris. Well Saris are Bangladesh’s national dress, not Pakistan’s! So it makes sense why most Pakistanis have no practical clue about saris! According to you if Bangladeshi like to wear Saris with short blouses because that’s how it’s traditionally worn, then there are many Pakistanis who think Shalwar Kameez is incomplete without a hanging duppata (not hijab!)! It’s got nothing to do with who’s more liberal or conservative - a casual classification I find highly superficial - it’s mostly to with the fact people being loyal to their traditions and customs.

For your information: unlike Bangladesh, Pakistan is a very diverse country made up of many different ethnic groups, cultures and sub-cultures and different climate zones, and it’s probably six times the size of Bangladesh in terms of area! There is indeed some communities in Pakistan that still see sari as part of their cultural heritage and wear it the traditional way with bit of skin show from the midriff, just like PCG has stated. Such style of dressing is considered totally normal because it’s part of their cultural heritage, but such way of dressing would not be appreciated in let’s say, Pakhtoon wedding. That obviously proves wearing saris with midriff on view is not unheard of in Pakistan, and hardly a taboo. One needs healthy level of cultural awareness and respect to recognise the subtle to major differences between different ethnic groups of Pakistan. There are many practices and customs in Pakistan which are strictly area and community specific, and therefore it’s always a bad idea to draw broad black and white generalisations on the diverse country of 180 million people.

I’m sure you check out Pakistani fashion, and considering how common it is to wear sleeveless kameez and capri pants, I think it’s fair to say that it’s about time that we bury the myth about Pakistani being oh so opposed to ‘bit of skin show’. I really don’t understand the obsession.