Bangal is a term used to refer to the people of East Bengal, now in Bangladesh. The term is used to describe Bengalis from the east, who are marked by a distinct accent. It is usually assumed that the Bramhaputra-Padma river system is the demarcation line between the Western and Eastern wings of the Bengal region. The areas to the East of the Bramhaputra-Padma river system are traditionally held to be the homeland of the Bangal people. However, some commentators claim that the areas of Sylhet division and Chattagram division should not be included as Bangal area but treated as distinct regions- harboring the Sylheti and Chatgaian people respectively. Going by the more strict definition, the Bangals are those people whose ancestry is connected to the Eastern Bengal plains of Mymensingh, Dhaka, and Comilla. Further, some opinions exist that among the East Bengal Plains origin people, only people belonging to the more affluent economic groups should be classified as Bangal. Going by this opinion, the designation Bangal has an ethno-geographic as well as a social connotation.
