Turkish TV series based on the legendary tales of historical figures from the Ottoman and Seljuk empires seem to have struck a chord among Bangladeshis, as those most motivated by the mega-series have developed a huge interest in Turkish language and culture.
“I am an author of Bengali dubbing dialogues of some Turkish mega-series and I learned the language by my own efforts,” Zannatul Ferdous, senior voicewriter at the private Bangladeshi Deepto channel, told Anadolu Agency (AA). TV.
Ferdous said she was impressed by the fascinating Turkish mega-series based on the country’s golden past and the history of wrestling.
“Turkey is a perfect example of a civilized culture which has acquired advanced knowledge in all forms of art such as crafts, painting, architecture, literature, music, film and media. I am fascinated by their presentation of art, â€she added.
Highlighting some mega-series like “Kösem Sultanâ€, “Vatanım Sensin†and “Fatmagülâ€, Ferdous said that Turkey has also made high quality historical mega-series like “DiriliÅŸ ErtuÄŸrul†and Bangladesh is a huge market for Turkish films.
“I really want to not only visit the country, but also explore the culture and learn Turkish crafts and music,†she said.
Like Ferdous, tens of thousands of Bangladeshis, especially young people, are interested in Turkish language and culture, motivated by mega-series.
Bangladeshi youth are now fans of many Turkish drama series including “DiriliÅŸ ErtuÄŸrul”, “KuruluÅŸ Osman”, “Uyanış: Büyük Selçuklu”, “Barbaroslar” and “Yunus Emre”.
Private broadcaster Channel I aired the mega-series “Yunus Emre” dubbed in Bengali, while several seasons of “DiriliÅŸ ErtuÄŸrul” also dubbed in Bengali were broadcast by two other private channels – Ekushey TV and Maasranga TV – winning a record popularity.
Today millions of people in Bangladesh, mostly young people, enjoy watching Turkish mega-series and movies through YouTube and other social media platforms.
“Eyvallahâ€, “Beyâ€, “Hey Mashallahâ€, “Abey†and many similar words are now very popular among Bangladeshis across the country.
Amid the global coronavirus pandemic, traditional Turkish greetings to each other by putting the right hand on the chest have become very popular in Bangladesh for maintaining social distancing.
“Not only as a Muslim but also as a human being, I am impressed by Turkish films and mega-series to learn the lessons of honesty, punctuality, humanity and daring against oppression, “Tahmid Taki, a university student in the capital Dhaka, told AA.
Fascinated audience
Many Bangladeshis who love Turkish movies and mega-series are now also familiar with Turkish foods like baklava, lokum, börek and boyoz and many people here are planning to travel to Turkey to see the sultanate memorials.
Speaking to AA, Soroj Mehedi, who teaches Turkish at Dhaka University, said interest in Turkish language and culture has grown rapidly in Bangladesh in recent years.
“Most of the students and other people who come to us to learn the Turkish language do so simply because of their love and passion for Turkey’s golden history and their daring role in the contemporary world in favor of humanity and oppressed Muslims, â€Mehedi said.
He said that a very limited number of Bangladeshis learn Turkish for professional reasons.
“You can define it as a Muslim tradition or a Turkish tradition or whatever you want,†he said.
Mehedi added that currently around 20 students learn Turkish language at his institute in a one-year course, and on average 15-20 students are admitted to the institute to learn Turkish every year and most of them do it just for their love. from Turkey.
“A lot of Bangladeshi youth, including university students, learn Turkish by watching mega-series,†he said.
Huge prospects
Mehedi noted, however, that the popularity of the Turkish language must be increased if the Turkish labor market in Bangladesh is to be expanded.
Turkey and Bangladesh have set a target of increasing bilateral trade to $ 2 billion from a current volume of nearly $ 1 billion.
Bangladesh has also offered Turkey to invest more in various public-private partnership economic zones, private economic zones and especially exclusive economic zones, high-tech parks and tourism sector.
“Bangladesh could establish a dedicated special economic zone in the country,†said Md. Shahriar Alam, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, during the celebration of the 98th Republic Day of Turkey in Dhaka.
Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh Mustafa Osman Turan told AA that the Turkish series captured the hearts and minds of many in Bangladesh.
“Turkish historical dramas are particularly relevant to Bangladeshi audiences because of our shared history and culture, which dates back to the 13th century,†Turan said.
Referring to the historical ties between Bangladesh and Turkey, he added that “Perceptions are changing positively, and a lot of curiosity and desire to visit Turkey and learn more about its history, culture and society has been generated â€.
