After independence, Bangladesh underwent spectacular cultural innovation. Young statehood demanded the creation of a national culture, new transnational linkages brought novel ideas, and growing wealth among some groups found expression in new lifestyles. The delta’s culture was pulled in different directions, and clashing trends had to accommodate each other. It has been a half-century of renewed idealism and passionate soul-searching. Local political culture became more violent, and a new concern with Islamic propriety produced an intense dialogue with the liberalism on which the state had been grounded. A distinct youth culture emerged, and food and sports became important aspects of national culture.