From: The Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples/Bangladeshis/Aminur Rahim
Prior to the 1980s most Bangladeshi men who arrived in Canada were college-or university-educated. Lately, the trend has been to less-educated immigrants whose functional knowledge of English is inadequate. Over all, however, Bangladeshis are considered to be quite well educated when compared with other South Asian immigrants. At the same time, it would be a mistake to present the community as a single and cohesive social group. Bangladeshis are divided between barolok (upper class) and chotolok (lower class). The former come mainly from the upper-income group, whose males have graduated from the country’s premier educational institutions, such as the University of Dacca, the Dacca Medical College, and the Engineering College (later the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology). The latter have usually attended mofussal (district) colleges and are looked upon by better-educated Bangladeshis as urban misfits. The social hierarchy is thus consciously maintained by the Bangladeshi elite. This traditional attitude is also reflected in social interaction and matrimonial relations.
Bangladeshis, like other immigrants, face a stiff challenge in finding employment. Educational qualifications acquired in the immigrant’s home country are not usually enough to qualify for a job in Canada. This hard truth has forced many Bangladeshis to upgrade their education at Canadian institutions or to take jobs unrelated to their training. They have therefore been obliged to approach the job market with prudence, particularly since a majority of Bangladeshis are from professional and technical backgrounds, and only a few venture into the world of business by opening restaurants or grocery stores.
Traditionally, Bangladeshi males were the breadwinners in the family. Women generally looked after the household affairs and reared the children. In the face of harsh reality, this customary practice has undergone a considerable change in Canada as Bangladeshi women, in order to help support the family, have also joined the workforce. Unlike the males, who are employed in skilled and professional positions, most women work in unskilled and low-paid jobs. They do so primarily because the scope for professional and technical education is limited for women in Bangladesh.
