By Henry Glassie. Bangladesh brings to mind are a green and fertile delta, a new state liberated from Pakistan in 1971 and the interesting paradox of a mainly Muslim country whose Government and opposition party are both led by women. In ''Art and Life in Bangladesh,'' Henry Glassie, the folklorist from Indiana University, wants to distract us from these stereotypes and focus attention on the Bangladeshis themselves. As he has already done in the cases of Ireland and Turkey with conspicuous success, he introduces Bangladesh through art. This is, he declares, ''the most human of things . . .
Art makes available complex human experience.
If that is studied with respect for others, if we strive truly to value what they value, we can bridge the differences that separate us. Art, in Glassie's felicitous phrase, is a ''courteous entry'' to the lives of artists and their culture. He hopes that by sharing in his exploration of the world of art in Bangladesh we may broaden our understanding of our common humanity. We may also begin to review our Western perceptions and come to see Bangladesh less as a place of poverty and disaster and more as one rich in artistic prowess and human excellence. At the heart of this work lie a host of encounters with artists that Glassie recorded between 1987 and 1996.