Bangladesh

Government: Bangladesh has a parliamentary system of government, where the Prime minister is the head of the government and the President is the head of the state.

                    Bangladesh National Flag

Geographical location: Bangladesh is a South Asian country, 20°34' to 26°38' north latitude and88°01' to 92°41' east longitude. Maximum extension is about 440 km in E-W direction and 760 km inNNW-SSE direction.

Time and Area: GMT + 6.00 hours. Approx: 148,000sq km (55,000sq mile). Currency: Taka (Tk57.10 = US$1, March 2002),

Boundaries: Mostly surrounded by India except in a part of south east Chittagong where the countryshares border with Myanmar. Bordering Indian states are West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripuraand Mizoram. The total length of the land border is about 4,246 km, of which 93.9% is shared with India and the rest 6% with Myanmar.

Administrative units: The country is divided into six divisions (chittagong, khulna, rajshahi, barisal,sylhet); 64 district; 507 upazila and thana 507, 4,484 union, 59,990 mouza 59,990, 87,319 villages;and 4 city corporations (Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi); municipality 223.

Physiography: A humid low-lying alluvial region, Bangladesh is composed mainly of the great combined delta of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna rivers. It is one of the largest deltas in the world. The monotony of flatness has been relieved inland by two elevated tracts - the Madhupur and the Barind tracts, and on the northeast and southeast by rows of hills. Some 75% of the land is less than 3m above mean sea level (MSL) and vulnerable to floods and cyclones. The maximum elevation is 1,280m above MSL at Saichal Range in Rangamati district. Tajingdong is the highest peak and called as Bijoy.

Energy sources: Fuel wood, natural gas, liquid petroleum fuels, coal, hydropower, solar power,biogas, etc.

Rivers: Total rivers including tributaries and distributaries are about 700 under three mighty riversystems: ganges-padma river system, Brahmaputra-Jamuna river system and Surma-Meghna river system. Rivers of the southeastern hilly region are considered as the chittagong region riversystem. Principal rivers are: Ganges, Padma, Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Surma, Kushiyara, Meghna,Karnafuli, old Brahmaputra, Arial Khan, Buriganga, Shitalakshya, Tista, Atrai, Gorai, Madhumati,Kobadak, Rupsa-Pashur and Feni.

Climate: Sub-tropical monsoon. Average maximum and minimum winter temperatures are 29°C and11°C respectively; average maximum and minimum summer temperatures are 34°C and 21°Crespectively. Annual rainfall 1,194 mm to 3,454 mm. Highest humidity 80% to 100% (August-September), lowest 36% (February -March).

Population: (2001) total population 123.1 million; density 834 persons per sq km, annual growth rate(1991-2001) 1.47%, male-female ratio 106:100, urban population 28.8 million, rural population 94.34million. Life expectancy at birth (1998) is 61 years. At the point of ethnicity Bangladeshi people areamalgamation of Dravidian, Proto-Australoaid, Mongoloid, and Arian. Tribal people with apopulation of just over 1.2 million occupy mainly Khagrachhari, Bandarban, Rangamati, Chittagong,Cox's Bazar, Habiganj, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Maulvi Bazar, Dinajpur, Joypurhat, Rajshahi, Naogaon,Rangpur, Bogra, Nawabganj, Mymensingh, Netrokona, Narguna and Nhola districts. There aresome 45 tribal groups in Bangladesh and among those Chakma, Garo, Hajong, Khasia, Magh,Santals, Rakhain, Manipuri, Murong are notables.

Religion: Muslims 88%, Hindus 11%, the rest being Buddhists, Christian and animist.Language: National Language: Bangla (99.5% speak Bangla and 0.5% other dialects). English is the second language.

Literacy: (7 years and above) 48.7 % (1997-98).

Educational institutions: Public university (1998) 14, private university (2001) 19, government medical college 16, private medical college 19, engineering college 6, polytechnic institute 21, college (general education) 2288, secondary school 14069 and primary school 65610.

Transport and communication: Metalled road 10,000 km; Railways 2,891 km. Waterways 8,900km.

Health facilities: (1999) Hospitals 1,289 (of which Upazila Health Complex and Rural HealthComplexes are 398); hospital beds 43,143; registered physician 30,864; households per physician674;

Employment and occupation: (Labour Force Survey 1990-91, in million) technical andprofessional 1.46; administrative and managerial 0.19; clerical works 1.10; sales works 4.02; service works 1.68; agriculture, forestry and fisheries 34.35;production and transport 6.98; not adequately defined 0.38.

Mineral resources: natural gas, coal, peat, limestone, hardrock, beach sand heavy mineral (zircon, rutile, Ilmenite, Garnet, Magnetite, Monazite, Leucoxene, Kyanite), glass sand, white clay, brick clay and metallic minerals.

Water resources: Bangladesh is endowed with plenty of surface water and groundwaterresources. Surface water inflows of the country vary from a maximum of about 140,000 cumec in August to a minimum of about 7,000 cumec in February.

Industries: Jute, tea, textile, garments, paper, newsprint, fertiliser, leather and leather goods, cement, sugar, fish processing, pharmaceuticals and chemicals.

Principal fruits: Mango (am), jackfruit (kanthal), black berry (jam), pineapple (anaras), banana (kala), litchi (lichu), lemon (lebu), guava (peyara), papaya (pepe), tamarind (tentul), watermelon (tarmuj), rose apple (jamrul), jujube (barai).

Principal crops: Jute, rice, wheat, potato, tea, tobacco,

Airports: Zia International Airport, Dhaka; Amanat Shah International Airport, Chittagong; Osmany Airport, Sylhet; Cox's Bazar Airport; Jessore Airport; Barisal Airport; Rajshahi Airport; Saidpur Airport,Nilphamari; Ishwardi Airport, Pabna; Tejgaon STOL Port, Dhaka; Shamsernagar STOL Port, Maulvi Bazar; Comilla STOL Port, Comilla; Lalmonirhat STOL Port; Thakurgaon STOL Port.

Food: Staple diet: rice, wheat, vegetable, pulses, fish and meat.

Flora: 6000 species (5000 flowering plants).

Principal fishes: Freshwater fishes: hilsa (Ilish),[tenualosa ilisha]; carps (rui, katla, mrigal, kalibaus,etc); barbs (punti, mahashol, etc); minnows (darkina, chela, mola, etc); catfishes (Tengra, Aid, Shingi, Magur, etc); climbing perch (Koi), [Anabas testudineus]. Saline water fishes: jew fishes (poa), thread-fins (tapasi), mullets (bata), pomfrets (rupchanda), etc.

Fauna: Vertebrates: about 1600 species; Fish: 266 inland species and 442 marine species; Amphibians: 22 species; Reptiles 126 species (109 inland and 17 marine); Birds: 628 species (388 resident and 240 migratory); Mammals: 113 species (110 inland and 3 marine).

Forest: Total 21403 sq km. Hill forest land 13,617 sq km; Inland forest land 1,220 sq km; Littoral forest 6,566 sq km.National days: Shaheed Dibas (Martyrs' Day) on 21 February now observed as international mother language day; Swadhinata Dibas (Independence Day) on 26 March; Pahela Baishakh or Bangla Nababarsa (Bangla New Year); Bijoy Dibas (Victory Day) on 16 December.

Festivals: Common: Navanna, Pahela Baishakh (Bangla Nababarsha). Religious: Muslim, Eid-ul Azha, Shab-e-Qadr, Shab-e-Barat, Eid-e- Miladunnabi, Muharram; Hindu Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Laksmi Puja, Saraswati Puja, Doljatra, Holi; Christian Christmas; Buddhist Buddha Purnima.

History and recent developments

Bangladesh is an independent country and Dhaka is its capital and premier city. It gained its independence in 1971, after a nine months bloody war of liberation against the Pakistani occupation forces. Although the actual Liberation War lasted for nine months, the people of this land had struggled for centuries to become free from foreign rule.

Sometimes the full significance of the creation of Bangladesh in 1971 is not fully appreciated or understood by everyone. Very few people realize that the people of this land have become the masters of their own destiny after one thousand years of outside domination. Foreign rule started in late eleventh century with the Hindu Sena rulers who came from southern India and gradually increased their territories after replacing the previous Buddhists Palas. By the early twelfth century Sena rule was firmly establish throughout Bengal. Although their capital city was Vijayapura in West Bengal they had a second capital in Vikrampur, not far from Dhaka city.

The Muslim rule of Bengal started with Ikhtiyar Al-Din Muhammad Bin Bhakhtiyar Khalji, who overthrew the last Sena ruler Lakshaman Sena in 1203/5. Muslim rule over Bengali continued for about five hundred and fifty years, lasting until the Battle of Plessey in 1757, when ruler Nawab Sirajuddaula was overthrown by the British.

The British ruled Bengal as part of their British Indian Empire until 1947 when the subcontinent was divided on religions lines and Pakistan was created by carving two chunks of land out of the Indian territories. People of Bangladesh were very hopeful that this time they would be free. However, very soon it began to dawn on them that the Pakistan project, for which they sacrificed so much to help achieve, was not going to deliver the freedom and dignity that they were seeking. They continued to fight for their rights and freedom, but a bloody unjust war was imposed on the innocent people of Bangladesh on 26 March 1971, by the military ruler of Pakistan, General Yahya Khan, after the 1970 election produced a result not anticipated by the dictator.

After nine months of sacrifices Bangladesh became an independent country on 16 December 1971 and in the history of the people of this land a new chapter had begun. Dhaka was the natural and only contender city within Bangladesh to become the capital of this new republic.

National Martyrs' Memorial situated at Savar, about 35 km north-west of Dhaka City

Since its independence, although Bangladesh started from a very low base - in terms of educational levels, individual and institutional capacities and the state of the economy, compounded by war devastation - the country has achieved many outstanding successes during the last three decades. These include improvements in healthcare; roads and infrastructural expansion; agricultural self-sufficiency and industrial diversification; literacy rate and educational attainment; export growth; democratization and the development of a strong civil society. The capacities of individuals and institutions have continued to improve, and Bangladesh has also experienced sustained economic growth year on year. For example,

… the share of aid as a resource for development for development has declined from around 10% of GDP in the early 1980s to 2 or 3% at the end of this century. This decline in aid dependence in Bangladesh reflects both an improved capacity for domestic resource mobilization as well as an expansion in our export earning over the last decade….

(Page 7, by Rehman Sobhan, Bangladesh on the Threshold of the Twenty-First Century: An Agenda for Change)

The table below shows that Bangladesh has achieved increased rate of GDP growth during the 1990s as compared to the previous decade, while reducing the rate of population growth and increasing per capita GDP quite significantly. This was achieved in a climate of dramatic reduction in foreign aid dependency and an increase in domestic capacity. This also shows the role that capacity building programmes can play in a country's development.

 (Page 74, by Wahiduddin Mahmud, Bangladesh Economy: Performance, Prospects and Challenges, ibid).

In the field of health improvements and educational development Bangladesh has achieved many outstanding successes.

Bangladesh has registered some gains in health. Its immunization programme has registered promising results. Its family planning programme has raised the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) from around 10% in the 1970s 50% today which has helped to halve its fertility rate in 20 years from 6.4 to 3.2. (Page 15,by Reham Sobhan, ibid)

Mortality is often considered as a criterion for judging economic successes and failures of nations. Bangladesh has displayed considerable success in this respect, especially in reducing infant and child mortality… The declining infant and child mortality rate has led to an appreciable increase in the average longevity of the Bangladeshi population. The matched indicator - life expectancy at birth - hovered around 55/56 years in 1980os; it increased to 57.7 years in 1993, and to 60 years in 1999/00.

(Page 172, by Binayak Sen, Poverty Alleviation: Changes,Channels and Challenges, ibid)

Since independence in 1971, the number of educational institutions and participating students has also increased quite significantly. For example, in 1971 there were a total of 28,731 primary schools in Bangladesh, which increased to 60,711 in 1997, and the total number of 6-10 year olds participating increased from 10.1m to 19.5m during the same time period.

(Page 502, by Sharifa Khatun, State of Pre-University Education,1971-2000, ibid).

It is being increasingly recognized that women's development are an essential prerequisite for a country's development. Without an overall development of women, in terms of education, health, economic independence, etc. there will be little chance of achieving the level of development needed for poverty alleviation. In Bangladesh, although women continue to face major barriers and obstacles, they have been making a steady progress in various ways.

Educational enrolment as well as the percentage of literacy has risen. Education has been diversified. Particular worthy of attention has been the interest girls are taking in education. Their opportunities are limited compared with those of boys, but having made determined use of the opening that they have got, girls have done well and, at places, beaten the boys.

(Page 215, by Serajul Islam Chowdhury, Society and Culture, 1971-2000, ibid).

In fact, women's participation in economic activities has clearly increased. They can be seen almost everywhere - from building sites to airplane cockpits. Women are visible in city streets. One sees the female garment workers walking with confidence to and from factories. Huddled together, they live in shanties, but even this way of life represent an emergence from the servitude of domestic labour. In the villages some women look after small poultry and cattle farms they have set up with loans taken from credit-giving bodies. Women work as health visitors, primary school teachers, even as labourers in shrimp cultivation. They serve as police women and are now joining the regular army.    

(Page 215, by Serajul Islam Chowdhury, Society and Culture, 1971-2000, ibid)