A new exhibition at Durham’s Oriental Museum is bringing the heritage of Bangladesh to local audiences, following an international partnership led by Durham University’s Department of Archaeology.
The project links Durham’s UNESCO Chair on Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage team with the Varendra Research Museum in Bangladesh. It explores how museums can protect collections facing pressure from climate change, environmental threats and limited resources.
Training and community involvement
The partnership has supported specialist training for museum professionals in collections care, archive digitisation, disaster-risk management and community engagement. The aim is to strengthen the protection of cultural collections while making them more accessible and meaningful to the communities connected to them.
In Bangladesh, museum staff worked with local communities to co-curate and host a heritage festival. The museum became a setting for cultural celebration and performance, connecting its collections with the living traditions of neighbouring communities.
Durham University said this approach is helping reshape the museum as a place where people can explore, celebrate and share their heritage, while it continues to support scholarly research. Community involvement is also intended to help protect both physical objects and less tangible cultural traditions for future generations.
Stories told through 25 objects
Participants in the programme also co-designed an exhibition about Bangladesh’s history using ancient and modern collections. The objects provide a way to explore changing empires, religious traditions and social transformations that have shaped the region over thousands of years.
The partnership is now being presented in Durham through Preserving the past, empowering the Future: connecting communities and collections in Bangladesh. The photo exhibition is described as the Oriental Museum’s first display dedicated to Bangladesh’s heritage.
The display includes a photographic and interactive version of the exhibition created at the Varendra Research Museum. It uses 25 objects to examine stories from Bangladesh ranging from prehistory to the present day.
International collaboration
The Varendra Research Museum is one of South Asia’s earliest purpose-built museums and holds collections of significant cultural importance. A digital version of A History of Bangladesh in 25 Objects is also available in English and Bangla.
The work has been supported by the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund. Durham University’s Department of Archaeology is ranked fifth in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 and third in the Complete University Guide 2027, according to the university.
Further information about the exhibition, the UNESCO Chair and Durham’s archaeology programmes is available through Durham University’s website.