Bangladesh

Bangladesh 

Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India

Area

Land Boundaries

Total 4,246 km, Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km

Coastline

580 km

Maritime Claims

International Disputes

A portion of the boundary with India is in dispute; water-sharing problems with upstream riparian India over the Ganges

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
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Reng Tlang 957 m

Natural Resources

Land Use

Irrigated Land

27,380 sq km (1989)

Environment

PEOPLE

Population

123,062,800 (July 1996 est.)
128,094,948 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

39% (male 24,434,219; female 23,436,359) (July 1996 est.)
40% (male 26,352,299; female 25,195,262) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

58% (male 36,607,942; female 34,603,628)(July 1996 est.)
57% (male 37,867,705; female 34,862,105) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

3% (male 2,175,017; female 1,805,635) (July 1996 est.)
3% (male 2,056,241; female 1,761,336) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

1.85% (1996 est.)
2.32% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

30.5 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
34.62 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

11.21 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
11.43 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

-0.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 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: 1.2 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.06 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

102.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
104.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total Fertility Rate

3.57 children born/woman (1996 est.)
4.39 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic Divisions

Religions

Languages

Bangla (official), English

Literacy

Age 15 and over that can read and write (1995 est.)

Labor Force

50.1 million

By occupation:

Note: Extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, UAE and Oman (1991)

GOVERNMENT

Names

Digraph

BG

Type

Republic

Capital

Dhaka

Administrative Divisions

4 divisions; Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi

Independence

16 December 1971 (from Pakistan)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 26 March (1971)

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 English common law

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Legislative Branch

Unicameral

National Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad)

Elections last held 15 February 1996 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (330 total, 300 elected and 30 seats reserved for women) seats by party NA; note - the election was held despite the fact that it was boycotted by the major opposition parties; Prime Minister Khaleda ZIAur RAHMAN's party won a landslide victory, but, under continuing pressure from the opposition, who called for an annulment of the results, National Parliament passed a bill that established a caretaker government to oversee new elections on a date yet to be determined; President BISWAS then dissolved Parliament and named a caretaker prime minister to replace Prime Minister ZIAur RAHMAN

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 (in jail); Jamaat-E-Islami (JI), Motiur Rahman NIZAMI; Bangladesh Communist Party (BCP), Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK; National Awami Party (Muzaffar); Workers Party, Rashid Khan MENON; Jatiyo Samajtantik Dal (JSD), Serajul ALAM KHAN; Ganotantri Party, leader NA; Islami Oikya Jote, leader NA; National Democratic Party (NDP), leader NA; Muslim League, Khan A. SABUR; Democratic League, Khondakar MUSHTAQUE Ahmed; United People's Party, Kazi ZAFAR Ahmed

Member of

AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNAMIR, UNAVEM III, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIH, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

National Anthem

Flag

Green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side of center; green is the traditional color of Islam

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 overwhelmingly 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, most recently, political disturbances. In 1995, progress on Bangladesh's development agenda has been slowed by frequent political unrest before and after national elections in early 1996. Opposition parties have challenged the government's authority by resigning from Parliament and sponsoring numerous countrywide strikes that have crippled transport, hindered business activity, and threatened to slow economic growth in 1996.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $144.5 billion (1995 est.); $130.1 billion (1994 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

4.6% (1995 est.)
4.5% (1994 est.)

National Product Per Capita

$1,130 (1995 est.)
$1,040 (1994 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

4.5% (1995 est.)
4.3% (1992 est.)

Unemployment Rate

NA

Budget

Exports

$2.7 billion (1995 est.)
$2.38 billion (1993)

Commodities:

Partners:

Imports

$4.7 billion (1995 est.)
$3.99 billion (1993)

Commodities:

Partners:

External Debt

$15.7 billion (1995 est.)
$13.5 billion (June 1993)

Industrial Production

Growth rate 8.5% (1995 est.); 6.9% (FY92/93 est.); accounts for 9.4% of GDP

Electricity

Industries

Agriculture

Accounts for 33% of GDP, 65% of employment, and one-fifth of exports; world's largest exporter of jute; commercial products - jute, rice, wheat, tea, sugarcane, potatoes, beef, milk, poultry; shortages include wheat, vegetable oils, cotton

Illicit Drugs

Transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries

Economic Aid

Currency

1 taka (Tk) = 100 poiska

Exchange Rates

Taka (Tk) per US$1 - 40.933 (January 19965), 40.278 (1995), 40.212 (1994), 39.567 (1993), 38.951 (1992), 36.596 (1991), 34.569 (1990)

Fiscal Year

1 July - 30 June

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

Highways

Inland Waterways

5,150-8,046 km navigable waterways (includes 2,575-3,058 km main cargo routes)

Pipelines

Natural gas 1,220 km

Ports

Chittagong, Dhaka, Chalna Port (Mongla)

Merchant Marine

Airports

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

249,800 telephones; poor domestic telephone service

Radio

Television

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force

Manpower Availability

Males age 15-49 31,795,848; males fit for military service 18,814,818 (1996 est.)

Defense Expenditures

Exchange rate conversion - $481 million, 1.7% of GDP (FY95/96); $448 million, 1.7% of GDP (FY93/94)

History
World Atlas