Greeting

Business etiquette in Bangladesh is rather formal, which can be seen both in greetings and introductions.

The handshake is usually rather as weak and soft. Handshakes are commonly exchanged during greetings and farewells.

Men shake hands with men, while women tend to limit themselves to a slight tilt of the head when greeting both men and women. Handshakes between men and women are very rare for religious reasons.

When greeting a woman, a man may tilt his head slightly in greeting. See how your Bangladeshi partner behaves in this situation.

If there are several men on your partner's side in Bangladesh, say hello to the oldest or highest in status first.

As in other parts of the Islamic world, the accepted form of verbal greeting in Bangladesh is As-salam alaikum, which means Peace be upon you. In response, one should say Waa-alaykum as-salam, which means Peace be upon you, too.

Introduction

The accepted norms for introducing people in Bangladesh depend on several factors, including a person's age and gender, as well as his or her hierarchical position in the company and status in society.

Your Bangladeshi partner may have a difficult name to pronounce, e.g. Bhattacharya. Practice pronouncing the name before you meet. Otherwise, you risk offending your partner, especially as some names are also the names of certain Indian deities.

Status is important in Bangladesh, it comes from age, university education, belonging to a particular caste, and profession.

Honorable, professional, and academic titles and ranks are used along with the first name or surname, "Doctor", "Professor", and "Engineer" being particularly respected.

In the absence of professional or academic regalia, use Sir or Madam.

Wait until your partner suggests that you address him or her by his or her first name without any title.

Exchange of Business Cards

Business cards are usually exchanged after greetings. Business cards are taken seriously in Bangladesh. You should always have a sufficient number of business cards.

Ranks and titles, especially academic degrees if you have them, should be mentioned on your business card. Your partner in Bangladesh can indicate on their card their level of education as well as the university they graduated from, especially if it is a prestigious institution.

The text on the business card is usually in two languages: English and Bangla.

Hand any materials (including the business card) to your partner with your right hand; also use your right hand when receiving materials. When passing a business card, try not to touch your partner's hand.

You should treat your partner's business card with respect: before putting it in your business card holder, study the text and comment on it, if appropriate.

Small Talk: Overview

Business meetings in Bangladesh often begin with small talk followed by the actual negotiations.

Even during informal small talk, communication can generally be characterized as formal. The hierarchical position of the speakers in their companies plays a major role. It is expected that the most senior person in a group of talkers will be shown special respect.

Bangladeshis are patient listeners. They usually do not interrupt their interlocutor during a conversation, giving them a chance to speak and thus showing them respect.

During a conversation, your Bangladeshi partner may stare at you. This is not a sign of disrespect. Eye contact indicates sincerity.

Preferred Topics

The topics of communication can vary greatly depending on the social status of your interlocutor. If he or she is from a wealthy family and has been educated abroad, he or she may suggest topics related to his or her life and education in a particular country.

In social interactions, your Bangladeshi counterpart will gladly respond to your sincere questions about Bangladesh's culture and history. Bangladeshis are proud of their literature, poetry, art and music.

Family is an important area of life, and accordingly, it is also a topic that often comes up in conversation.

Favorite topics of conversation within the country are sports, especially cricket, but also football and kabaddi, a local sport that is more popular in rural areas.

Taboo Topics

Politics is a difficult topic to discuss and should be avoided at all costs.

Foreigners should be careful what they say when it comes to Islam or issues related to Islam. Do not allow yourself to be criticized.

Sexual matters and, in particular, topics such as divorce should be kept out of small talk.

Money and sources of income will not be a good topic.

Bangladeshis are sensitive (like most cultures) to criticism of their country.

Personal Space

The distance of comfortable communication in Bangladesh may be shorter than in other cultures: in Bangladesh, it is customary to stand quite close to the speaker. This distance is further reduced if the speakers are of the same sex.

Physical touching during communication is acceptable between persons of the same sex. These include, for example, patting the other person on the shoulder or touching the other person's arms. The better people know each other, the greater their physical contact during conversation.

On the contrary, physical contact between people of the opposite sexes is impossible, as well as public expression of affection, especially kissing and hugging, is not accepted in this society.

Communication Specifics

It is not common in Bangladesh to express one's opinion directly and openly. Strong statements will not be well accepted.

When communicating with strangers, Bangladeshis sometimes say what they think is expected of them rather than what they really think. In some ambiguous situations, therefore, it makes sense to ask questions that will require a more extended response.

Trying to be as polite as possible and maintain harmony, your partner in Bangladesh will try to avoid negative answers. In this case, phrases such as "That may be difficult", "I can try" or "I have to give it some thought" are likely to mean "This cannot be done".

Silent pauses are possible when talking to a Bangladeshi partner. Silence is seen as a natural feature in a conversation.