The Rakhain, belonging to the Bhotbarmi community of the Mongoloids, came from the land Rakhain Pre, which is now known as Arakan in Myanmar. The word Rakhain originates from the word Rakshan, which means the people who preserve and safeguard their heritage and culture. 

The census of 1991 recorded the Rakhain population in Bangladesh at about 7,000. More than eighty percent of them live in Ramu, Cox's Bazar, Bandarban, Manikchhari  and Teknaf. The skull of Rakhains  is round, their nose is flat, they have black hair, they are usually short in height and their complexion is light brown.

Though, Buddhists by faith, Rakhains, like other tribes and sub-tribes, believe in superstitions, magic and supernatural powers. They lead very simple lives. The language of Rakhains belongs to the Bhotbarmi group of languages. Rakhain children start their education at Buddhist Patshalas (primary schools) or khyangs (monastery). They receive both religious and linguistic education there.

The rate of literacy in the Rakhain community is very high and some of them are highly educated. The main profession of Rakhains is farming. They also weave fabrics and make salt and molasses.

Both males and females take part in agricultural work. But women take the leading role in livestock rearing and poultry. In some remote areas, Rakhain women are engaged in fishing and some of them are involved in small business and in making handicrafts. Educated Rakhains are now engaged in teaching, practising medicine, and working as engineers and in other jobs.

Their diet includes rice, fish, pulses and vegetables. Pork and dried fish are favourite foods. They serve decorated pithas (cakes) and sweet rice porridge on ceremonial occasions.

The common dress of Rakhain men is the lungi and fatua and women wear a dress known as nima. They wear turbans and use self-woven lungis and bags. While the women wear embroidered lungis and blouses of colourful designs and also various types of ornaments on their bodies and flowers on their heads, some of them also use blouses similar to the angi in design.

They are very hard working. They are skilled in crafts, especially in making handloom items. As a nation, the Rakhains have their own culture. Different festivals are a part of their culture.

As Buddhists, they perform religious festivals distinctively their own. It is a custom amongst the Rakhain people to honour their parents and elders and the Lord Buddha at the beginning of any special occasion. The birth anniversary of Gautam Buddha is one of their major religious ceremonies. They observe the spring festival and the Baisaki, Maghi Purnima and Prabarana Purnima. "Shangrain" is their greatest community festival and is observed for three days on the occasion of Chaitra Sankranti.

They consider water the symbol of purity as it carries the essence of the power that washes away all sins and for thousands of years Rakhain society has evolved with this notion in some form or the other. Rakhain people use water for recreation and for fun, and enthusiastically celebrate "Shangrain", popularly known as the water festival. During the month of April on the eve of Pahela Baisakh, the Rakhain community arranges this festival, which occurs due the basis of their religious belief. The community follows Buddhism and they believe that water acts as a cleansing agent, which purifies the mind and the body, and washes away the impurities of the past and ushers in a New Year free from stain.

Marriage is a religious and social obligation in Rakhain society. Generally guardians arrange marriages, but nowadays love marriages are also recognized. Dowry is not accepted among Rakhains. Though the father is the formal head of the family, male and female members have equal rights. Sons and daughters inherit parental property in equal proportion. During marriage the groom comes to the bride's place wearing a turban.

Rakhains burn the bodies after death and bury the remains. The Shraddha ceremony for the deceased is held seven days after that person's death.