Co-existence: Migrated Settlement Redefining Cultural Heritage – A Case from Bangladesh

Abstract

This chapter explores the interplay and cultural relationship between a migrated settlement at Chandanaish in Bangladesh and their surrounding natural setting, where the prevailing biodiversity immensely influenced their dwelling pattern. It tries to argue that their co-existence on such diverse topography has an innate value to observe and study their historical transformation as a subject of cultural heritage. In scope of this chapter, four types of mud houses of the migrated settlement, named ‘Dherr’, located in the Shopnonagar village, were studied, through on-site photographic exploration, analysis and observation into tangible and intangible aspects with reference to its ecology and built environment. Chandanaish has a rich culture of mud houses with hills and forest all around, which harbors a variety of wildlife including large mammals like the Asian elephants. However, sometimes elephants attack the village for food which force, the villagers to design mud houses in a way that can prevent elephant attack. Such adaptation in dwelling pattern allowed co-existence among built environment, human and nature. Currently, clusters of mud houses with courtyards have formed the character of the ‘Dherr’ settlement, where customs as well as wisdom of Bangladeshi people have been transmitted to this locality as a form of a cultural heritage. This chapter is an attempt to investigate in detail the habitation of the settlement which derived from adopted co-existence of human, built environment and nature, to redefine cultural heritage of this place.