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BANGLADESH, a republic in South Asia. Between
1947 and 1971, when it didn't gain its independence, Bangladesh
formed the eastern part of Pakistan and was called East
Pakistan. Before the partition of India into independent
India and Pakistan in 1947,
Bangladesh (The land of Bengal) had been the eastern part
of the Bengal province of the British Empire.
Bangladesh, a land full of rivers and canals, lies in the
Easternmost part of the Indian Subcontinent,. It
is almost entirely surrounded by India, an inevitable condition
that affects the foreign policy and economy of Bangladesh.
One of the most Populous and helplessly among poorer countries
in the world, Bangladesh has about 130 million people
living in an area slightly larger than the state of New York. Its
population density, one of the highest in the world, ranges from
an average of 2,000 persons per square mile (800 per sq. km); The
population is the one of the main domestic problem which caused Bangladesh to become poor. But things are improving and population is under good control
Majority of the people live in rural areas and agriculture based. Only about 24% live in
urban centers, the most important of which is Dhaka,
the capital of this country. It is situated in central
Bangladesh. Chittagong is a major port city on
the southeast coast.
Bangladesh has only a small agricultural surplus and limited
manufacture with which to trade. Therefore commerce is
insufficient to create the amount of capital needed to invest in
power plants, in improvements in the transportation system, and
in developing the other necessities of an industrial society.
Being primarily Muslim, the Bengalis of
Bangladesh are separated by religion from the largely Hindu
Bengalis of the Indian state of West Bengal. All of the Bengalis,
however share a common cultural heritage apart from religion, and
all speak the same Bengali language, which has a rich literary
tradition that is about a thousand years old.
The country is a parliamentary democracy, secular in its intent,
in contrast with the previous government of Pakistan, which has
been characterized as a theocracy. The first government was
formed by the AwamiLeague, the party that played
a primary role in the struggle for independence. Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman, leader of the party, became the first
prime minister.
( Encyclopedia Americana '97-
Bangladesh )
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Country name:
conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh
conventional short form: Bangladesh
former: East Pakistan
Government type: Republic
Capital City: Dhaka (414.40 sq.km).
Administrative divisions: 6 divisions; Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Barisal and Sylhet
Independence: 16 December 1971 (from Pakistan)
National holiday: Independence Day - 26 March, Victory Day - 16th Dec, Shahid Day - 21st Feb.
Constitution: 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986, amended many times
Legal system: based on British common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President (now former parliament speaker temporarily appointed from since June 2002); note — the president's duties are normally
ceremonial, but with the 13th amendment to the constitution
("Caretaker Government Amendment"), the president's
role becomes significant at times when Parliament is dissolved
and a caretaker government is installed - at presidential
direction — to supervise the elections
head of government: Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia
(since 10th October 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet selected by the prime minister and
appointed by the president
elections: president elected by National Parliament for a
five-year term; election last held 10th November 2001; following legislative elections, the leader
of the party that wins the most seats is usually appointed prime
minister by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament or
Jatiya Sangsad (330 seats; 300 elected by popular vote from
single territorial constituencies, 30 seats reserved for women;
members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 1st October 2001.
election results: percent of vote by party—
BNP 67%; AL 27%, note — the elections of
12 June 1996 brought to power an Awami League government for the
first time in twenty-one years; held under a neutral, caretaker
administration, the elections were characterized by a peaceful,
orderly process and massive voter turnout, ending a bitter
two-year impasse between the former BNP and opposition parties
that had paralyzed National Parliament and led to widespread
street violence
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, the Chief Justices and other judges are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Khaleda ZIAur Rahman; Awami League (AL), Sheikh HASINA Wajed; Jatiyo Party (JP), Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD; Jamaat-E-Islami (JI), Motiur Rahman NIZAMI; Bangladesh Communist Party (BCP), Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK
International organization participation: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUA, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNOMIL, UNPREDEP, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (?)
chancery: 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 342-8372 through 8376
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Ann
embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Madani Avenue, Baridhara,
Dhaka 1212
mailing address: G.P.O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000
telephone: [880] (2) 884700 through 884722
FAX: [880] (2) 883-744
Flag description: green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side of center; the red sun of freedom represents the blood shed to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lush countryside. It hoisted on top of this page.
Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Myanmar and India
Geographic coordinates: 20.75 to 25.75 N, 88.33 to 92.75 E
Area:
total: 144,000 sq km
land: 133,910 sq km
water: 10,090 sq. km
Area—comparative: slightly bigger than Rep. of Ireland.
Land boundaries:
total: 4,246 km
border countries: Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km
Coastline: 580 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 18 nm
continental shelf: up to the outer limits of the
continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; cool, dry winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); cool, rainy monsoon (June to October)
Terrain: mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Reng Tlang 957 m
Natural resources: natural gas, arable land, timber
Land use:
arable land: 73%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: 15%
other: 5% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 31,000 sq. km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely flooded during the summer monsoon season
Environment—current issues: many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; limited access to potable water; water-borne diseases prevalent; water pollution especially of fishing areas results from the use of commercial pesticides; intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation; deforestation; severe overpopulation
Environment—international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Population: 127,567,002 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 38% (male 24,339,519; female 23,377,955)
15-64 years: 59% (male 38,897,130; female 36,818,818)
65 years and over: 3% (male 2,239,638; female 1,893,942)
(July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.76% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 28.89 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 10.6 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.18 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 97.67 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 56.66 years
male: 56.69 years
female: 56.63 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.32 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Bangladeshi(s)
adjective: Bangladesh
Ethnic groups: Bengali 98%, Biharis 250,000, tribals less than 1 million
Religions: Muslim 88.3%, Hindu 10.5%, other 1.2%
Languages: Bangla (official), English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 38.1%
male: 49.4%
female: 26.1% (1995 est.)
Economy—overview: Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains one of the world's poorest, most densely populated, and least developed nations. Annual GDP growth has averaged over 4% in recent years from a low base. Its economy is largely agricultural, with the cultivation of rice the single most important activity in the economy. Major impediments to growth include frequent cyclones and floods, the inefficiency of state-owned enterprises, a rapidly growing labor force that cannot be absorbed by agriculture, delays in exploiting energy resources (natural gas), inadequate power supplies, and slow implementation of economic reforms. Frequent strikes that crippled the economy in 1995 and early 1996 subsided after former Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA Wajed's Awami League government assumed power in mid-1996, allowing a return to normal economic activity. The current government has made some headway improving the climate for foreign investors and liberalizing the capital markets; for example, it has negotiated with foreign firms for oil and gas exploration, better countrywide distribution of cooking gas, and the construction of natural gas pipelines and power plants. Progress on other economic reforms has been halting because of opposition from the bureaucracy, public sector unions, and other vested interest groups.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$167 billion (1997 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 5.5% (1997 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$1,330 (1997 est.)
GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 30%
industry: 18%
services: 52% (1996)
Inflation rate—consumer price index: 2.5% (1996)
Labor force:
total: 56 million
by occupation: agriculture 63%, services 25%, industry and
mining 10% (1996)
note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,
UAE, and Oman (1996)
Unemployment rate: 35.2% (1996)
Budget:
revenues: $3.6 billion
expenditures: $5.3 billion, including capital expenditures
of $3 billion (FY96/97)
Industries: jute manufacturing, cotton textiles, food processing, steel, fertilizer
Industrial production growth rate: 5.3% (1996)
Electricity—capacity: 2.978 million kW (1995)
Electricity—production: 11.5 billion kWh (1997)
Electricity—consumption per capita: 71 kWh (1997 est.)
Agriculture—products: rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes; beef, milk, poultry
Exports:
total value: $3.9 billion (1996)
commodities: garments, jute and jute goods, leather,
frozen fish and seafood
partners: Western Europe 42%, US 30%, Hong Kong 4%, Japan
3% (FY95/96 est.)
Imports:
total value: $6.9 billion (1996)
commodities: capital goods, textiles, food, petroleum
products
partners: India 21%, China 10%, Western Europe 8%, Hong
Kong 7%, Singapore 6% (FY95/96 est.)
Debt—external: $17.1 billion (1996)
Economic aid:
recipient: $1.475 billion (FY96/97)
Currency: 1 taka (Tk) = 100 poisha
Exchange rates: taka (Tk) per US$1—58.50 (August 2002) 45.450 (January 1998), 43.892 (1997), 41.794 (1996), 40.278 (1995), 40.212 (1994), 39.567 (1993)
Fiscal year: 1 July—30 June
| Communications |
Telephones: 249,800 (1994 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: Reasonable domestic telephone service
international: satellite earth stations—2 Intelsat
(Indian Ocean); international radiotelephone communications and
landline service to neighboring countries
Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 6, shortwave 0. Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Rangpur and Sylhet
Television broadcast stations: 11
Televisions: 350,000 (1993 est.)
Private Television Channels: 4- Ekushe TV, Channel I, Inqilab TV, ATN Bangla.
Railways:
total: 2,892 km
broad gauge: 978 km 1.676-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,914 km 1.000-m gauge (1992)
Highways:
total: 223,391 km
paved: 16,084 km
unpaved: 207,307 km (1995 est.)
Waterways: 5,150-8,046 km navigable waterways (includes 2,575-3,058 km main cargo routes)
Rivers: Padma, Meghna, Jamuna, Brahmaputra, Shitalakhkha, Shurma , Karnafuly.
Pipelines: natural gas 1,220 km
Ports and harbors: Chittagong, Dhaka, Chalna Port (Mongla)
Merchant marine:
total: 39 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 310,728
GRT/444,245 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 31, oil tanker 2,
refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2 (1997 est.)
Airports: 16 (1997 est.), Namely - Zia International Airport (Dhaka), Chittagong, Jessore, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Ishardi, Barisal, Coxs Bazar, Thakurgaon, Sayedpur .
Airports—with paved runways:
total: 15
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 7 (1997 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces (includes Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Ansars, Armed Police Reserve, Village Defense Parties, National Cadet Corps)
Military manpower—availability:
males age 15-49: 33,780,741 (1998 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service:
males: 19,984,761 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $481 million (FY95/96)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 1.7% (FY95/96)
Disputes—international: a portion of the boundary with India is indefinite
Illicit drugs: transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries
Doctor : Population - 1 : 5749
Hospital Bed : Population - 1 : 3347
Nurse : Population - 1 : 5762
| Weather in Bangladesh |
Most of the time of the Year, the weather is very hot and humid. But this is the country of Six distinct season and Monsoons. The Seasons change with time. All throughout except, December to February, it is warm (30 to 40 C). And rest of the time it is cooler like European Summer. The Six seasons are called :
| Goodies about Bangladesh |
| Bullshits about Bangladesh |
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