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Buddhism is the third-largest religious affiliation and formed about 0.63% of the population of Bangladesh.^[1]^[2] It is said that Buddha once in his life came to this region of East Bengal to spread his teachings and he was successful in converting the local people to Buddhism, specially in the Chittagong division and later on Pala empire propagate and patronized Buddhist religion throughout the Bengal territory.^[3] About 1 million people in Bangladesh adhere to the Theravada school of Buddhism.^[4] Over 65% of the Buddhist population is concentrated in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region, where it is the predominant faith of the Rakhine, Chakma, Marma, Tanchangya, other Jumma people and the Barua. The remaining 35% are Bengali Buddhists. Buddhist communities are present in the urban centers of Bangladesh, particularly Chittagong and Dhaka.

History

Legend said that Gautama Buddha came to the region to spread Buddhism, and it was speculated that one or two individuals became monks to follow in his footsteps. However, Buddhism did not gain much support until the reign of Ashoka when Buddhism gained a toehold. The Pala Empire that controlled the Indian subcontinent spread many Buddhist ideologies in modern Bangladesh and built many monasteries such as the Mahasthangarh and the Somapura Mahavihara. During the Pala Dynasty, a famous teacher named Atisha was born in the city of Bikrampur and spread Mahayana Buddhism.

Chandra Dynasty's Puranchandra and Subarnachandra adopted Buddhism, as did their successors Trailokyachandra and Srichandra who ruled Harikel and Chandradwip (Barisal).^[5] The Khadga Dynasty was a Buddhist dynasty of kings that carried the surname Bhatt. They made several temples and monasteries. King Rajabhata was for example a very committed Mahayanist Buddhist.^[6]

Buddhism in various forms appears to have been prevalent at the time of the Turkic conquest in 1202.^[7] The invading armies found numerous monasteries, which they destroyed. With the destruction of centres of Buddhist learning, such as Nalanda University, Buddhism rapidly disintegrated.^[8] In subsequent centuries and up through the 1980s nearly all the remaining Buddhists lived in the region around Chittagong, which had not been entirely conquered until the time of the British Raj (1858–1947). During the 19th century, a revival movement developed^[9] that led to the development of two orders of Theravada monks, the Sangharaj Nikaya and the Mahasthabir Nikaya.

In the Chittagong Hills, Buddhist tribes formed the majority of the population, and their religion appeared to be a mixture of tribal beliefs and Buddhist doctrines. According to the 1981 census, there were approximately 538,000 Buddhists in Bangladesh, representing less than 1 percent of the population.

Demographic overview

Historical Buddhist Population
Year	Pop.	±%
1951	294,437	—
1961	355,634	+20.8%
1974	428,871	+20.6%
1981	522,722	+21.9%
1991	637,893	+22.0%
2001	862,063	+35.1%
2011	898,634	+4.2%
2022	1,001,974	+11.5%
Source: Bangladesh government census authority^[10]^[11]

Buddhism in Bangladesh by decades^[10]^[12]
Year	Percent	Increase
1951	0.7%
1961	0.7%	0%
1974	0.6%	-0.1%
1981	0.6%	0%
1991	0.6%	0%
2001	0.7%	+0.1%
2011	0.6%	-0.1%
2022	0.63%	+0.03%

As of 2014, followers of Buddhism are mainly people of Baruas living in Chittagong city, the business city of Bangladesh and indigenous Arakanese descent living in the sub-tropical Chittagong Hill Tracts. People who follow Buddhism in Bangladesh belong to the Barua people in majority with the percentage of 65% among the 0.07% population of Bangladesh, Chakma, Chak, Marma, Tanchangya and the Khyang, who had been since time immemorial have practiced Buddhism. Other tribes, notably those who practice Animism, have come under some Buddhist influence, and this is true in the case of the Khumi and the Mru, and to a lesser extent on the other tribes.

Buddhist population across Bangladesh^[13]
Division	Percentage (%)	Buddhist population ()	Total population
Barisal	0.05%	4,911	91,00,104
Chittagong	2.92%	9,69,630	3,32,02,357
Dhaka	0.05%	20,335	4,42,15,759
Khulna	0.01%	1,006	1,74,15,924
Rajshahi	0.01%	1,123	2,03,53,116
Rangpur	0.02%	3,091	1,76,10,955
Sylhet	0.01%	1,105	1,10,34,952
Mymensingh	0.01%	753	1,22,25,449

Geographical distribution

According to 2022 census, 96.77% of Bangladeshi buddhist lives in Chittagong Division, constitutes 2.92% of divisional population. They mainly concentrated in Chittagong hill tracts region constituting 41.74% of CHT population. Buddhism is the largest religion in Rangamati Hill District (57.25%) and second largest in Khagrachhari District (35.93%) and Bandarban District(29.53%).

Upazila	District	Percentage of Buddhism^[14]
Juraichhari Upazila	Rangamati Hill District	95.60%
Naniarchar Upazila	Rangamati Hill District	83.18%
Belaichhari Upazila	Rangamati Hill District	78.21%
Lakshmichhari Upazila,	Khagrachhari District	77.73%
Barkal Upazila	Rangamati Hill District	75.81%
Bagaichhari Upazila	Rangamati Hill District	67.99%
Rowangchhari Upazila	Bandarban District	67.58%
Mahalchhari Upazila	Khagrachhari District	61.67%
Rajasthali Upazila	Rangamati Hill District	58.48%
Kaukhali Upazila	Rangamati Hill District	56.76%
Dighinala Upazila	Khagrachhari District	54.54%
Rangamati Sadar Upazila	Rangamati Hill District	48.50%
Panchhari Upazila	Khagrachhari District	47.25%
Guimara Upazila	Khagrachhari District	46.74%
Kaptai Upazila	Rangamati Hill District	45.35%
Thanchi Upazila	Bandarban District	42.34%
Khagrachhari Sadar Upazila	Khagrachhari District	38.50%
Ruma Upazila	Bandarban District	36.80%
Bandarban Sadar Upazila	Bandarban District	36.49%
Alikadam Upazila	Bandarban District	30.54%
Langadu Upazila	Rangamati Hill District	23.74%
Manikchhari Upazila	Khagrachhari District	21.50%
Naikhongchhari Upazila	Bandarban District	19.41%
Lama Upazila	Bandarban District	17.09%
Ramgarh Upazila	Khagrachhari District	14.63%
Raozan Upazila	Chattogram District	6.71%
Matiranga Upazila	Khagrachhari District	5.58%
Ukhia Upazila	Cox's Bazar District	4.99%
Rangunia Upazila	Chattogram District	4.23%
Ramu Upazila	Cox's Bazar District	2.95%
Taltali Upazila	Barguna District	2.54%
Lohagara Upazila	Chattogram District	1.83%
Chandanaish Upazila	Chattogram District	1.81%
Patiya Upazila	Chattogram District	1.74%
Cox's Bazar Sadar Upazila	Cox's Bazar District	1.70%
Boalkhali Upazila	Chattogram District	1.66%
Fatikchhari Upazila	Chattogram District	1.35%
Teknaf Upazila	Cox's Bazar District	1.34%
Mirsarai Upazila	Chattogram District	1.24%
Hathazari Upazila	Chattogram District	1.13%
Others		<1%

Buddhist sites

Somapura Mahavihara in Naogaon, Rajshahi Division was built during the Pala-era and was part of a network of monasteries including Nalanda, Vikramashila and Jaggadala. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Jagaddala Mahavihara in Naogaon, Rajshahi was an 11th-century Buddhist monastic establishment located in the historical Varendra region. Was probably active till at least the 12th century.
Halud Vihara in Naogaon, Rajshahi
Agrapuri Vihara in Naogaon, Rajshahi
Vasu Vihara in Bogra, Rajshahi
Sitakot Vihara in Nawabganj, Rangpur Division.
Bhitagarh in Panchagarh District, Rangpur Division.
Pandit Vihara in Chittagong
Bikrampur Vihara in Bikrampur, Dhaka Division.
Shalban Vihara in Comilla
Wari-Bateshwar ruins in Narsingdi, Dhaka Division.
Nateshwar Deul, in Munshiganj, Dhaka Division

Culture

Atisha is one of the ancient priests from the Pala dynasty who is followed within the Bangladeshi Buddhist sects.

There are several active monasteries in the Chittagong, and in most Buddhist villages there is a school (kyong) where boys live and learn to read Bengali (national language) and some Pali (an ancient Buddhist scriptural language).^[7] It is common for men who have finished their schooling to return at regular intervals for periods of residence in the school. The local Buddhist shrine is often an important center of village life.

Buddhism outside the monastic retreats has absorbed and adapted indigenous popular creeds and beliefs of the regions to which it has spread.^[7] In most areas religious ritual focuses on the image of the Buddha, and the major festivals observed by Buddhists in Bangladesh commemorate the important events of his life. Although doctrinal Buddhism rejects the worship of gods and preserves the memory of the Buddha as an enlightened man, popular Buddhism contains a pantheon of gods and lesser deities headed by the Buddha.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs provides assistance for the maintenance of Buddhist places of worship and relics.^[7] The ancient monasteries at Paharpur (in Rajshahi Region) and Mainamati (in Comilla Region), dating from the seventh to ninth century A.D., are considered unique for their size and setting and are maintained as state-protected monuments.

Persecution of Buddhists

List of massacres targeted at Hindus and Buddhists minorities by radical Islamists and Razakar:

Prominent Bangladeshi Buddhists

Historical figures

Atisa - 10th century Buddhist monk who played a prominent role in the spread of Buddhism to Tibet. Also an abbot at Vikramashila monastery.
Chandragomin - 7th century Buddhist lay practitioner and poet from the Varendra region
Traillokyachandra - 10th century King of the Chandra dynasty who converted to Vajrayana Buddhism
Vanaratna (1384–1468 CE) who is considered the last Indian Buddhist Pandit in Tibet.

Bhikkhus (monks)

Karmayogi Kripasaran Mahathero
Ven. Jyotipal Mahathero
Rajguru Aggavamsa Mahathera
Rajguru Priyo Ratana Mahathera
U Pannya Jota Mahathera|Ven. U Pannya Jota Mahathera
Ven. Prajnananda Mahathera
Suddhananda Mahathero
Bishuddhananda Mahathera

Administration

Barrister Devasish Roy, Chakma Raja (Chakma Circle Chief)
Bijoy Giri (15th Chakma Raja of Chakma Circle)
Benita Roy (aristocrat, litterateur, diplomat, minister and Rani of Chakma Circle)
Raja Nalinaksha Roy (49th Raja Of Chakma Circle)
Mong Prue Sain (King of Mong Circle)