Talking about Bangladesh: festivals, food and culture

Many IELTS questions invite you to talk about your country. "What's an important festival in your country?" "What do people do on public holidays?" "Is traffic a problem where you live?" These are great chances to talk with real detail and real feeling. But many students struggle to explain Bangladeshi things in English.

Why this matters

The examiner may not know what Pohela Boishakh or pitha is. If you just say "We celebrate Pohela Boishakh" and move on, the examiner learns nothing. Explaining local things clearly is a great way to show your vocabulary and your ability to describe.

The golden rule: say it, then explain it

Use the local word, then explain it in simple English right away.

"We have a festival called Pohela Boishakh, which is the Bengali New Year. It's usually on the 14th of April."
"In winter, people make pitha, which are traditional rice cakes. Some are sweet and some are savoury."
"Most people in my area get around by rickshaw, which is a kind of three-wheeled bicycle taxi."

Useful phrases for explaining:

"..., which is a kind of..."
"It's similar to..., but..."
"It's basically a..."
"The closest thing in English would be..."

Language bank: festivals and holidays

Eid: "Eid is the biggest religious festival for Muslims in Bangladesh. People wear new clothes, visit relatives and share special food."
Pohela Boishakh: "People wear red and white, there are fairs called mela, and many people eat panta bhat with hilsa."
Durga Puja: "It's the biggest Hindu festival in Bangladesh. People visit beautifully decorated temporary temples called pandals."
21 February: "We remember the people who died in 1952 defending the Bangla language. It's now also International Mother Language Day."

Language bank: everyday life

Food: rice and fish, "a staple food", "street food like fuchka and jhalmuri", "home-cooked meals"
Weather: "the monsoon season", "hot and humid summers", "short, mild winters"
Transport: "traffic jams", "the new metro rail in Dhaka", "crowded buses", "rickshaws"
Family: "joint families", "close-knit", "we visit our village home during Eid"

Be balanced and honest

It's fine to talk about problems in Bangladesh, like traffic or pollution. Just stay balanced and fair. You're describing, not complaining.

"Traffic in Dhaka is honestly one of the biggest problems. A short trip can take an hour or more at peak times. That said, things are slowly improving. The new metro line has made a real difference for people who live near it."

Sample Part 2 opening

Describe a festival that is important in your country.

"I'd like to talk about Pohela Boishakh, which is the Bengali New Year. It falls in mid-April, and it's one of the few festivals that everyone in Bangladesh celebrates together, whatever their religion. In the morning, people dress in red and white, and in Dhaka there's a huge colourful procession..."

Try it yourself

Explain each of these in one or two simple English sentences, as if the examiner has never heard of them.

Khichuri
Nakshi kantha
Hartal (a general strike)
Your favourite local snack

Honest note

Check your facts before you say them. If you're not sure of a date or a number, say "around" or "I think". Nobody expects you to be a historian. Being roughly right and fluent is better than stopping to remember an exact date.

Your task today

Choose two festivals and two everyday topics from this lesson. Record a 1-minute explanation of each, as if talking to a foreign friend.