The Garo community is one of the major tribes in Bangladesh. According to the history books, the Garo tribe entered Bangladesh in the first century. They were refugees from Mongolia and came to this region through Tibet.

The Garo have stayed in Bangladesh for thousands of years. Initially, they followed a religion called Sonatoni; during the British rule in this subcontinent they came to Christ. Today, nearly 100 percent of the Garo tribe practices Christianity, though a few still believe in Sonatoni.

Garos have their own language, Achick, which is completely different from the local language, Bengali. Achik has several accents/branches such as Habeng, Attong, etc.

The Garo tribe also has its own culture. Their dress, food habits and celebration styles can be easily distinguished from the Bengalis and other tribes.

The people from the Garo tribe have different features than the original inhabitants of Bangladesh (Bengali people). They are a little shorter and have fair skin. Their eyes and nose are similar to their ancestors from Mongolia.

Compared to the other tribal groups, the Garo tribe is little advanced in education and social activities. The first Garo church (Garo Baptist Convention) was established in 1910. Many missionaries and evangelists from Europe and North America worked among the Garo people over the decades.

Being a part of a developing country, the Garo community also suffers from poverty. Many Garo families are deprived of education.

Garos in the villages and in remote places suffer from lack of clean water and sanitation. There are many villages like Gobindopur and Nalchapra, which greatly need hospitals and medical facilities.

The people from the Garo community have to go to the local pharmacy for  minor diseases or injuries. For major problems, they have to take the patient to the town, which is about 35 kilometers away.

The Garo have only one high school (sixth through 10th grade) with a capacity of only 300 children. This government school has only nine teachers. There are also two primary schools in those villages with limited capacity and facilities.

The houses of the Garo people are made of bamboo walls and straw or tin roofs. Some houses have mud walls with a roof of straw and plastic sheets. House are typically 7 feet wide and 14 feet long. The Garo build their own houses. Usually they have free spaces in front of their houses. They keep cows, chicken and ducks as pets.

Garo families usually have an average  of two to three children.

Thirty percent of the Garo people have completed high school. However, the remaining 70 percent have not; the poor families can’t afford to send their children to school.

The government of Bangladesh has ensured that all children can attend primary school. But many children from the Garo community drop out after the primary level.

The educated people from the Garo community work in nongovernmental and other corporate organizations. The poorer Garo people earn their keep by working as day laborers, usually in the crop fields for nine or 10 hours daily.

Available transportation in Garo villages is cycle or rickshaw, especially for long distances. But since most peope can’t afford the rickshaw fare, they walk. Cycle-vans are used to carry goods.

In the Garo culture, both male and female have to work for the family. The interesting part is that the Garo ladies get ownership of the properties from the family, a tradition completely opposite of the Bengali people.

The Garo festivals are very colorful and full of music and dancing. Christmas and Easter are the two major religious festivals. Their biggest cultural festival is called Wangala.

Wangala is the festival when the Garo thank God for the new crops. It takes place just after the harvesting period. The Garo prepare pitha (homemade pies), sweets and other food to celebrate this occasion. At the celebration, Garo girls wear their traditional dress and sprinkle puffed rice and dry rice with their hands.

The traditional dress of the Garo ladies is called Dokbanda,  a combination of a long skirt and blouse. The gents wear regular shirts, trousers and lungi (Bangladeshi skirt for men).

The favorite dishes of the Garo are pork, snails, eel and little tortoises. They use a special substance called Khari to make the food more tasteful. They prepare the Khari at home.

Compassion-assisted child development centers that serve the Garo people include: BD-401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406, 407, 408, 409, 410, 411 and 412.

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Acmeshall washed her face and mouth with water. The 6-year-old girl woke her mother up. Her mother, Lodis, enjoyed seeing her daughter’s hurry for Easter.

Acmeshall was very happy as she wore a brand-new white skirt specially made by her mother. She said her prayers and waited for her parents to take her to church.

At the same time half a kilometer away, an 8-year-old boy, Razu, was also getting ready for the morning devotion of Easter Sunday. Things were a little different here.

Like many of the children registered in Compassion in Bangladesh, Razu belongs to a Hindu family. His family came to know about the Christians and Jesus Christ through Compassion.

Razu’s family earns their living selling milk from their cow and goats. The cow and the goats were gifts from Razu’s sponsor. Though Razu’s parents and grandfather are from another religion, they allow Razu to participate in every program of the Compassion child development center and church.

This was the first year Razu would celebrate Easter. He reminded his mother the night before to wake him up in the morning. His mother didn’t know anything about Easter, so Razu told her the story about the resurrection of Lord Jesus.

The next morning his mother called him early. He left his bed and prepared for church. He didn’t have any new clothes for Easter, so he put on his only shirt. His elder brother, Sazu, also got dressed up with him for church. Their grandfather, Ramcharan, took them to church. For Ramcharan, Easter was just another festival, only for the Christians.

Acmeshall entered the church and joined her Compassion friends at the front row. She was too little to understand the entire spiritual concept of Christ’s resurrection. However,  she understood two things well: Jesus is alive and Jesus loves her. These were the most important things for this little girl.

Acmeshall learned at the Compassion child development center how to pray and how to thank God for His graces. She prayed for her own family, her sponsor and family, her friends and for her teachers.

Razu was also at church. He learned many new things about Jesus. He loved all the carols and Bible verses. He also liked how the pastor boldly declared the resurrection of Christ. It was a new experience for him. At the end of the service he said his prayer.

After the devotion, Acmeshall and Razu both spent some time with their friends. As it was a holy day, they returned to their home.

At home, Acmeshall played with her younger sister and cousins. Her mother prepared special sweets and snacks for the celebration. She made pies, called Pitha, out of flour, coconut, sugar, molasses, eggs and rice. She made custards, called Payesh, from rice, milk, molasses, sugar and coconut. They shared food with everybody.

They also had a special meal at lunchtime, beef and vegetable curry with potatoes, with lemon squeezed over it.

At evening, Acmeshall visited house to house with her friends to share the merriment of Easter with everybody.

The scenario at Razu’s house was completely opposite.

There was no special food for them. Razu didn’t have his breakfast, so he was hungry. At lunchtime his mother served him rice with little vegetables. No sweets for Razu or Sazu. They spent Easter day like any other regular day.

Along with Razu, thousands of poor Christian children all over Bangladesh couldn’t distinguish Easter day from a regular day. They are going through such poverty that celebrating Easter with new clothes and delicious food is a luxury for them.

In Bangladesh, Easter is considered as the second major festival for the Christians, after Christmas. The non-Christian people have very limited ideas about Easter. They think of it as one of the additional religious festivals.

As the Muslims and Hindus don’t believe in the resurrection of Christ, they don’t show any curiosity about this occasion. However, the Christian community of Bangladesh celebrates this glorious occasion with great joy and arrangements.

The celebration styles at the villages are different than that of the urban areas. In the villages and the rural areas, the most important part is the morning devotion at church, which take place around 8 or 9 o’clock in the morning.

After that, the Christian families share sweets and pies with their relatives and non-Christian neighbors.

The tradition of new clothes is also a part of Easter. The capable parents try to buy new clothes for their children, not dress clothes, but just everyday clothes. The exchange of gifts like Christmas time is not common.

The lifestyle of the people at the villages is very simple, and they celebrate Easter in a simple way and that brings an exceptional flavor to this joyous occasion. Their simple lifestyle allows them to focus completely on the resurrection rather than on fancy clothing or food.

Acmeshall’s mother, Lodis, shared her Easter experience with us.

“Easter is very important for us, as it tell us about the resurrection of our Lord. I am very happy that my daughter learned at the Compassion child development center that Jesus is alive. She can pray herself, and she is building a great relationship with God.”

Little Acmeshall was very excited about Easter.

“Did you see my new skirt? My mother made it for me. We had a great Easter day. I know Jesus is Alive and he will come to take me. I love Jesus.”

In the capital Dhaka, the most exciting part of Easter Sunday is the Sun Rise Service. It is the special morning devotion, arranged in front of the Parliament building before the sun rises.

More than 15,000 Christians from all over Dhaka join the Morning Prayer to celebrate the precious occasion of Jesus’ resurrection. This worship and prayer service is a symbol of fellowship and love.

The dawn of Easter Sunday starts with worshiping our God and remembering His most precious gift for humanity. After the service, greetings are exchanged by the people.

Almost every church arranges a special service and fellowship meal in the evening. Adults as well as the children together enjoy the happy moments.

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