UNESCO trains Indigenous youth to preserve fading traditions in Bangladesh
UNESCO-backed initiative in northeastern Bangladesh trains Indigenous youth to document oral traditions and protect living heritage
DHAKA, Bangladesh — UNESCO has launched a cultural preservation initiative in Bangladesh aimed at training Indigenous youth to document and protect traditional knowledge, oral histories, and community heritage threatened by globalization and cultural decline.
The program, organized in partnership with the International Training Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (CRIHAP) and local organization Anubad, brought together 15 young participants from Indigenous communities in Bangladesh’s northeastern Sylhet division for a five-day workshop held from May 17 to 21 in Sreemangal.
Participants from Bishnupriya Manipuri, Meitei and tea garden communities were trained in community-based methods of safeguarding “living heritage,” including oral traditions, cultural practices, traditional craftsmanship and Indigenous knowledge systems passed down through generations.
UNESCO officials said the initiative seeks to strengthen local capacity to preserve intangible cultural heritage at a time when many Indigenous communities across South Asia face increasing pressure from modernization, migration and social marginalization.
“Young people are not only future custodians of heritage; they are active cultural actors today,” said Dr. Susan Vize, UNESCO’s representative to Bangladesh. “The role of communities must remain central throughout the safeguarding process.”
The workshop introduced participants to principles under UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, including ethical documentation practices and the importance of free, prior and informed consent when recording community traditions.
Sessions were led by UNESCO-accredited heritage expert Dr. Alexandra Dennes and Bangladeshi trainer Rifat Munim, combining classroom discussions with field-based activities in Sreemangal and Kamalganj, where participants worked alongside elders and cultural practitioners to identify and document heritage elements within their communities.
UNESCO said the initiative builds on previous youth-focused heritage programs in Bangladesh and aims to create a new generation of community-based cultural practitioners capable of preserving Indigenous traditions increasingly at risk of disappearing.
CRIHAP Director General Zhang Jing, speaking virtually during the workshop, said empowering younger generations remains critical to ensuring cultural traditions survive and evolve.
“Young people are essential partners in safeguarding living heritage,” Zhang said. “Strengthening their capacities today helps ensure that heritage continues to live and evolve tomorrow.”
Participants said the workshop also created a rare platform for cross-community exchange and representation.
“The workshop allowed us to share the stories and traditions of our communities while learning from others,” said Jiyana Madrajee, a participant from the tea garden community in Kamalganj.
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