Who are the Boinggas?

If you are from Chattogram, the word 'Boingga' should be familiar to you. And even if you're not originally from Chattogram but live there, chances are you've come across this word many times— perhaps in someone's speech, gestures, or facial expressions.

This word also pops up frequently in TV serials, social media posts, and comedy skits. For example, people from Chattogram often jokingly call outsiders "boingga boingga," teasing people from other districts. But interestingly, when there's trouble, these same "boingga" folks are often the first ones to come forward and help. A true friend in need, right?

Chattogram locals are famous for their humour, hospitality, helpfulness, and, of course, their love for food and feeding others! Sometimes, you'll even find headlines like "I'm the only boingga in this drama." On Facebook, you might see funny lines like: "Bones never become meat, boingga never become dost (friend)."

Boingga, boinga, voinga, or voinge— these are all variations of the same word. According to Wikipedia, 'boingga' means 'Bengali.' The word is believed to have come from the Pali term 'Bangiya' (Bang + iya). It's an ethnic term used in Assamese, Chakma, and Chittagonian languages.

But in Chattogram, the word often takes on a negative tone. It's commonly used to offend people who can't speak the Chittagonian dialect or who are not from the region. 

For a long time, words like Bang, Bangal, or Bongo have been used in West Bengal and this region with derogatory undertones. Why that is, we don't exactly know. But generally, such terms are used to suggest inferiority. It has become a cultural trait in the Ganges delta region to feel superiority by mocking others— a form of pointless pride.

Haroon Rashid, researcher and writer

A research paper titled "A Study on the Extinction of Dialects Due to the Effect of Demo-Linguistics: A Case Study in Bangladesh" (published January 2023) states that in Chattogram, people are reluctant to accept dialects from other districts. Locals are often unwilling to adjust to outside accents, and as a result, people who move to Chattogram avoid using their regional dialects. If someone does speak in their own dialect, they're often mocked with the label 'boingga'—a term that carries sarcasm, ridicule, and even contempt.

Take the example of Shahed Zaman. Originally from Jamalpur, Shahed has been living in Chattogram for two years due to his job. In that time, he's heard the word boingga repeatedly from various locals— his landlord, rickshaw pullers, and shopkeepers. It's not just in words; he also notices it in their gestures and attitudes. 

Recalling one incident, he said, "One day I asked a shopkeeper to break a large bill, and just for that, the people around started whispering, 'These boingga people…' Another time, I tried to get into a CNG auto-rickshaw. A local passenger refused to make space for us. We had to circle around and get in from the other side. The moment we sat, that person got up and moved next to the driver— as if we were untouchable!"

Shahed's colleagues have had similar experiences. The moment someone speaks without a Chattogram accent, it becomes obvious that they're not local, and that changes how people treat them.

"They'll call you boingga behind your back in such a way that you'll start thinking you did something wrong! Since locals look down on non-Chattogram people, I've learned a few Chittagonian words myself. I try to mix them into my speech so people don't realise I'm not from here," said one of his colleagues.

Historically, the word boingga comes from Bangiya or Bangla, meaning a person from Bengal. Just like Sitang becomes Sitainge (for Chittagonian), or Rohang becomes Rohingya, similarly Bang becomes boingga or Voinge. The suffix "iya" or "ye" is added at the end of these names.

But this raises an important question— is Chattogram really separate from Bengal?

To understand this, one must look into Chattogram's past. Being a port city, Chattogram has long attracted the attention of foreign powers. Throughout history, Tripura, Arakan, and the Mughal empires fought bloody battles to gain control over the region.

Arab, Dutch, and Portuguese traders all conducted business here, and the British, of course, came later. While much has been researched and written about these periods, there is still confusion and debate over which power ruled Chattogram between 1540 and 1586. However, it is known that in 1586, Chattogram finally came under the complete control of the Arakanese kingdom.

The Arakanese rule extended from present-day Rakhine and Cox's Bazar up to Bhatiari in Chattogram. Areas outside this Arakan-ruled Chattogram such as Noakhali and other Bengali-speaking regions were collectively referred to as Banga, Bangadesh, Bangla, or Bangala.

The Arakanese referred to the people of these regions as Bengali speakers, using the term 'Bongiya' or 'Boinga'. Among the Chakma people, the word 'boinga' is also used, though they use it with a different meaning, referring to someone as a nomad or wanderer.

On this topic, Chattogram researcher and writer Haroon Rashid remarked, "People of Chattogram aren't a separate race. We're all Bengali. Everyone came from somewhere else, migrating here from different lands. But since the Arakanese ruled for centuries, some of their cultural influence likely remained."

Mohammad Tarek (pseudonym) was born, raised, educated, and employed in Chattogram, though his ancestral home is in Bhola. Yet, from an early age, he has been labelled a 'boingga'.

He said, "I've seen situations where someone is treated one way just because they're a boingga, and completely differently if they're a Chattogram local. I've noticed this even at restaurants while dining. It's natural to feel a soft corner for your own people, but here it feels excessive and unnecessary."

In the medieval period, Arakan was a prosperous region, excelling in trade, literature, and naval power, particularly in southern India. It's possible that this sense of superiority led Arakanese rulers to look down on Bengalis, or perhaps they simply used the term to describe them as Bengali speakers.

Bangladeshi folklorist, lyricist, and poet Shamsul Arefin said, "There's no definitive or precise record on this. But from what I understand through history, 'boinga' comes from 'Bengali.' Chattogram used to be outside the main Bengal region, which is why people from Bengal were called boinga. Interestingly, those from Chattogram who blended with the Bengalis were called Bangal. The word originally carried no insult."

However, over time, the word seems to have taken on sarcastic or mocking tones.

Lubna Ahmed, a native of Chattogram, said, "This single word carries so many meanings. Boingga means someone of a 'lower class,' miserly, poor, or simply an outsider. Chattogram locals believe that people from other districts don't share their aristocratic lifestyle."

She continued, "For centuries, this region has been a hub of business and political power. Even some of the country's biggest industrialists came from here. That has created a kind of ethnic pride among locals. They think people here have big hearts, big visions, and are generous in spending unlike boinggas, who they view as tightfisted and narrow-minded."

"Some locals even seem to derive a twisted pleasure from calling others boingga," Lubna added.

Researcher Haroon Rashid said, "For a long time, words like Bang, Bangal, or Bongo have been used in West Bengal and this region with derogatory undertones. Why that is, we don't exactly know. But generally, such terms are used to suggest inferiority. It has become a cultural trait in the Ganges delta region to feel superiority by mocking others— a form of pointless pride."

But of course, not all people from Chattogram are like this.

Take, for example, Baishali Guha (pseudonym), a proud Chattogram native from Boalkhali. She recently graduated from the Asian University for Women.

Baishali admits she jokingly calls her friends boingga.

"All my friends at university were from outside Chattogram. I'd call them boingga just for fun, but never meant to offend them. In fact, I try my best to make sure no one feels like an outsider. I know many use the word as a slur, but for me, Chattgaiya or boingga we're all the same."