BENGALIS are known for their deep-rooted love of sweets. It’s more than just a preference; it’s part of our identity. From childhood to adulthood, from everyday meals to grand celebrations, sweets are inseparable from our culture. Even in our language, phrases like ‘sesh pate roshogolla aar doi’ (ending a meal with sweets) have become proverbial.
Take a short drive outside Dhaka — to Gazipur, Narayanganj, or Tangail — and you’ll see rows of sweet shops lining highways and town centres. These are not just businesses, but cultural institutions. The artisans who dedicate their lives to this craft are known as ‘gosh’—sweet-makers whose skills are often passed down through generations.
Each of Bangladesh’s 64 districts boasts at least one signature sweet. In the Dhaka division alone, we have Tangail’s legendary Porabarir Chomchom, Rajbari’s Roshomalai and Roshogolla, Netrokona’s Balish Mishti, and Gopalganj’s Pera Sandesh. The southwestern region is particularly rich in sweet diversity. When visiting, don’t forget to bring back Satkhira’s Sorpuriya, Jessore’s Jamtola’r Gurer Roshogolla, and Narail’s Sandesh.
Khulna city has embraced a wave of innovation in sweet-making, now offering modern creations like Chhanar Polao, Rosho Kadom, Sandesh Sandwich Toast, and colourful layered Sandesh varieties. Barisal brings its own flavours with Gournodi’s Doi and Roshogolla, Goila’s Roshomalai, and Madaripur’s Kheerer Chomchom, which has recently gone viral.
Comilla, not far from Dhaka, boasts one of the most celebrated sweets in the country, Matri Bhandar’s Roshomalai, so iconic that many shops in Dhaka claim to sell it to attract buyers. Chhanar Jilapi and Chhanar Polao from Comilla are also exquisite. Similarly, Mymensingh’s Muktagacha Monda is beloved and often given as a gift.
Further north, Rajshahi is home to unique delicacies that blend tradition with creativity—Pata Sandesh, Ilish Sandesh, Apple Sandesh, Rosho Kadom, and many varieties of Pera Sandesh. These sweets are not only visually stunning but also exceptionally delicious. Natore’s kachagolla and Bogura’s Doi and Kheersha are also must-tries.
Major cities like Dhaka, Chittagong, and Sylhet now offer a blend of traditional and modern sweets, catering to evolving tastes. In Bangladesh, no celebration—be it weddings, gaye holud, or Eid—is complete without sweets. Visiting relatives without carrying sweets is unthinkable. Even at airports, travellers can be seen carrying boxes of sweets to gift loved ones abroad.
This obsession has fuelled a booming sweet industry. Sweet shops are mushrooming across cities, and prices are rising. Encouragingly, a positive trend is emerging: the availability of diabetic-friendly and low-sugar sweets, catering to more health-conscious consumers.
Still, public awareness about the health impacts of excessive sugar intake remains low. In 2021, an estimated 13.1 million people in Bangladesh had diabetes, placing the country 8th globally in diabetes prevalence. For those with cancer, obesity, or metabolic issues, sweets are often discouraged altogether. According to global health guidelines, an adult should consume no more than 25–30 grams of added sugar per day. A cup of sweetened tea and just one piece of sweets can easily exceed that limit.
The government has a role to play here. Like in other countries, Bangladesh needs a comprehensive strategy to promote nutritional awareness without undermining this culturally significant sector. Interestingly, the interim government recently proposed increasing the Value Added Tax on sweets from 7.5 per cent to 15 per cent. Following criticism, it was adjusted to 10 per cent. Still, this move could be seen as a nudge toward moderation in sweet consumption.
For comparison, in countries like Bhutan, desserts are rare; people usually end meals with fruit. In Thailand, desserts are light and often fruit-based, such as mango sticky rice or tub tim grob (water chestnuts in coconut milk). Nepal and Sri Lanka favour bakery items and simpler confections. None have the elaborate, diverse sweet culture that we do.
Despite the abundance of sweet shops across Bangladesh, there is no official database or quality monitoring system. Hygiene standards in many village or semi-urban shops are inconsistent, and nutritional labelling is virtually nonexistent. If reliable statistics existed, we might find that sweet shops outnumber most other small businesses in the country.
Yet, on the global stage, Bangladeshi sweets remain virtually invisible. Walk into any South Asian grocery store abroad, and you’ll likely find Indian canned Gulab Jamun or Rasgulla, but rarely anything from Bangladesh. This is a missed opportunity. With such a rich, delicate, and flavourful variety, we could easily build a powerful culinary export brand.
Bangladesh is a sweet-making hub, with thousands of artisans depending on this craft for their livelihoods. If formalised and supported, this sector could become a significant source of economic growth and culinary diplomacy. The recent GI (Geographical Indication) registration of Comilla’s Matri Bhandar Roshomalai is a step in the right direction, but more items should follow.
Ultimately, while our love for sweets defines much of our cultural and emotional identity, we must strike a balance. As a nation, we can take pride in our diverse and delightful sweets, advocate for their rightful place on the global stage, and, at the same time, remain mindful of their health implications. It’s time we sweeten the world, but with responsibility.
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ÌýNazmun Naher is an associate professor of the Bangladesh Institute of Governance and Management.