KEY FACTS

Joined Commonwealth: 1972

Population: 156,595,000 (2013)

GDP p.c. growth: 3.7% p.a. 1990–2013

UN HDI 2014: World ranking 142

Official language: Bangla

Time: GMT plus 6 hrs

Currency: Taka (Tk)

Geography

Area: 143,998 sq km

Coastline: 580 km

Capital: Dhaka

The People’s Republic of Bangladesh is afertile and densely populated delta country insouthern Asia bordered by the Bay of Bengal,India and Myanmar (formerly Burma).

Topography: Apart from hills to the south-east, most of Bangladesh is a flat alluvialplain crossed by navigable waterways – theGanges (Padma), Brahmaputra (Jamuna) andMeghna river systems – flowing into the Bayof Bengal. About 14 per cent of the countryis normally under water. Flooding is frequentand can be disastrous.

Climate: Tropical monsoon. Hot and humidApril–October, with the monsoon season

June–September. Cool and dry November–March. The country is vulnerable to cyclones,which can be devastating. The cyclone of April1991 killed 138,000 people. In November2007, Cyclone Sidr hit the southern coastalstrip of Bangladesh, also killing and makinghomeless thousands of people.

Environment: The most significant issues aresevere overpopulation, high risk of floodingin large areas of the country, soil degradationand erosion, ground water contaminated bynaturally occurring arsenic, and poisoning offish by use of commercial pesticides.

Vegetation: Intensely cultivated; paddy fieldsdominate the delta; palms, bamboo, mango,the plains. Water hyacinth is a seriousmenace to waterways. Forest on the south-eastern hills; forest covers ten per cent of theland area, having declined at 0.2 per centp.a. 1990–2011. Soil is mostly very rich,supporting intensive cropping, with up tothree crops p.a. in many places; arable landcomprises 59 per cent of the total land area.

Wildlife: The country has a varied wildlifepopulation, although 18 species becameextinct during the 20th century and 33species of mammals and 28 of birds wereendangered in 2014. Mammal speciesinclude 26 types of bat, the famous Bengaltiger (now virtually confined to theSundarbans and numbering a few hundred)and the Gangetic dolphin, and reptile speciesinclude turtles, river tortoises, crocodiles,gavials, pythons, krait and cobras. There areseveral ‘protected’ areas for wildlife.

Main towns: Dhaka (capital, pop. 11.08m in2011), Chittagong (3.66m), Narayanganj(1.63m), Khulna (1.04m), Rajshahi (763,952),Sylhet (479,837), Tungi (476,350), Comilla(407,901), Mymensingh (389,918), Bogra(350,397), Rangpur (328,777), Barisal(328,278), Jessore (253,019), Dinajpur(191,329), Pabna (190,317), Nawabganj(180,731), Brahman Baria (172,017) andNarsingdi (146,115).

Transport: There are 21,270 km of roads,ten per cent paved; these roads arevulnerable to damage by storms or floods,and have many bridges. The 4.8 km Jamunamultipurpose bridge was inaugurated in1998, linking the east and the west of thecountry by road and railway.

A rail network of some 2,835 km links themain towns. The Dhaka–Chittagong line has

frequent daily services. Rail is broad gauge inthe west, narrow gauge in the east, withferry links across rivers.

Bangladesh has 5,000–8,000 km of navigablewaterway, depending on the extent offlooding, and a well-developed watertransport network, carrying more than 30 percent of domestic freight. The main ports areChittagong and Mongla, Chittagong dealingwith the bulk of foreign trade. Shahjalal(formerly Zia) International Airport is 19 kmnorth of Dhaka.

Society

KEY FACTS 2013

Population per sq km: 1,087

Life expectancy: 71 years

Net primary enrolment: 92% (2010)

Population: 156,595,000 (2013); densityamong world’s highest; 33 per cent of peoplelive in urban areas and 14 per cent in urbanagglomerations of more than one millionpeople; growth 1.6 per cent p.a. 1990–2013;birth rate 20 per 1,000 people (47 in 1970),controlled by vigorous family planningschemes; life expectancy 71 years (44 in1970).

Language: Bangla (Bengali) is the officiallanguage. English is widely spoken, especiallyin government and commerce.

Religion: Muslims 90 per cent, Hindus 9.5per cent, a few Buddhists and Christians(2011 census); Islam is the state religion.

Health: Public spending on health was oneper cent of GDP in 2012. Public-sectormedical facilities remain scarce, though thereare clinics run by a major non-governmentalorganisation, BRAC. To provide safe drinkingwater, between the 1970s and the mid-1990s some five million wells were drilled,and in 2012 the UN estimated that 85 percent of the population was using animproved drinking water source and 57 percent had access to adequate sanitationfacilities. However, from 1996 naturallyoccurring arsenic was detected in the groundwater (supplying more than one million tubewells), putting nearly 50 per cent of thepopulation at risk. By the 2000s there was anepidemic of health problems caused byarsenic poisoning. Bangladesh has maintaineda high level of immunisation coverage againstdiseases such as diphtheria, whooping cough,

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tetanus and measles. There are 78 medicalcolleges in Bangladesh (2014). Infantmortality was 33 per 1,000 live births in 2013(149 in 1960).

Education: Public spending on educationwas two per cent of GDP in 2008. There arefive years of compulsory primary educationand eight years of free education, starting atthe age of six. Almost all primary schools aregovernment-managed. Secondary schoolscomprise a first cycle of three years and asecond cycle of four years. Some 66 per centof pupils complete primary school (2009). Theschool year starts in January. A parallel systemof education – madrassa education – offersIslamic instruction from primary level up topostgraduate level.

The main public universities are the Universityof Dhaka (established in 1921); University ofRajshahi (1954); Bangladesh AgriculturalUniversity (1961, located in Mymensingh);University of Chittagong (1966); andUniversity of Jahangirnagar (1970, in Savar,Dhaka). There are also several privateuniversities in Dhaka, including North SouthUniversity and Independent University. TheBangladesh Open University provides distancelearning for a wide range of students atsecondary and tertiary levels. Thefemale–male ratio for gross enrolment intertiary education is 0.70:1 (2011). Literacyamong people aged 15–24 is 77 per cent(2010).

Media: Bangladesh has a lively and thrivingpress, with very many newspapers andweeklies in circulation. Leading English-language newspapers are The Daily Star,Daily Sun, The Independent, New Age, TheNew Nation, and Holiday (weekly). Dailies inBengali include Dainik Ittefaq, Daily ProthomAlo and Dainik Jugantor.

Television is Bangladesh’s most popularmedium, especially in the cities. The country’smain terrestrial TV channel, BangladeshTelevision, is a public service. Privately-ownedTV channels available via cable and satelliteinclude: ATN Bangla, Channel I, NTV, RTV andEkushey TV. Satellite and cable television arepopular in urban areas. Bangladesh Betar isthe national public radio service.

Some 32 per cent of households have TV sets(2010). There are 23 personal computers per1,000 people (2006).

Communications: Country code 880;internet domain ‘.bd’. Mobile phonecoverage is good in urban areas but patchyelsewhere. Internet connections exist in maintowns.

For every 1,000 people there are sevenlandlines, 671 mobile phone subscriptionsand 65 internet users (2013).

Public holidays: Shaheed Day (InternationalMother Language Day, 21 February),Independence Day (26 March), Labour Day (1May), Bank Holiday (early July), NationalMourning Day (15 August), NationalRevolution Day (7 November), Victory Day (16December) and New Year’s Eve. The weekendcomprises Friday/Saturday.

Religious and other festivals whose dates varyfrom year to year include Prophet’s Birthday,Bangla Naba Barsha (Bengali New Year,around 14 April), Buddha Purnima(April/May), Shab-e-Bharat (Ascension of theProphet), Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan, threedays), Durga Puja (Dashami, October), Shab-e-Qadr (Evening of Destiny), Eid al-Adha(Feast of the Sacrifice, three days) and IslamicNew Year.

Economy

KEY FACTS 2013

GNI: US$142.9bn

GNI p.c.: US$900

GDP growth: 5.9% p.a. 2009–13

Inflation: 7.6% p.a. 2009–13

The country has a high population density,limited natural resources and an agriculturaleconomy vulnerable to floods and cyclones,but it nevertheless achieved economic growthaveraging around four per cent p.a. from the1970s. It also has huge reserves of naturalgas (estimated at 300 billion cubic metres inJanuary 2014) and some coal.

Economic policy has long aimed at thealleviation of poverty through increasing foodproduction and expanding education, whiledeveloping an industrial and technologicalbase, but severe floods have often frustrateddevelopment plans.

From the mid-1990s, successive governmentswere committed to free-market policies,privatisation of state-owned enterprises,attracting overseas investment and bankingreform. More than 60 state-owned enterprises,in areas as diverse as manufacturing,agriculture, transport and communications,were identified for divestment, but progresswas slow due to strong popular opposition.These policies led to an improvement ineconomic performance, even in 1998 whenthe country was devastated by floods thatcovered nearly two-thirds of the land area.

From 2000 the economy grew strongly, withgrowth rates of at least six per cent p.a. in2011–14 driven by strong exports. In2008–09, despite the world economicdownturn, the economy remained buoyantwith continuing growth in clothing exportsand remittances from Bangladeshis livingabroad. Keeping inflation under control,however, proved more challenging.

History

From its earliest pre-history Bangladesh hasbeen subject to waves of migration and theincursions of regional – and later European –powers. An Indo-Aryan population, Hindu inbelief, arrived between 3,000 and 4,000 yearsago and the evidence suggests a flourishing,sophisticated civilisation.

The Moghul dynasty, conquering the territoryin the 16th century, spread Islam widelythrough the country. The followingsuccessions of arrivals were the Portuguese,Armenians, French and British, whoestablished military and trade outposts. In1757 a British force defeated the local armyof Nawab Siraj-ud-Dwola and set in train 190years of British rule.

In 1947 East Bengal and Sylhet (then part ofAssam) came to independence out of theUK’s Indian Empire, as the eastern part of theMuslim state of Pakistan. From the start, EastPakistan was beset by problems. In particular,

Bangladesh

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Services56.1%

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it resented the dominance of its richer andmore powerful though less populous partner,West Pakistan, from which it wasgeographically separated by about 1,600 kmof Indian territory. Political control, languageand economic policy were among the largeareas of disagreement. In 1949 the AwamiLeague was established in East Pakistan tocampaign for autonomy.

Protests and violent demonstrations followedthe declaration, in 1952, that Urdu was to bePakistan’s official language. Bengali was finallyaccepted as the joint official language twoyears later. By the mid-1960s, continuedunder-representation in the governmentadministration and armed forces and a muchless than fair share of Pakistan’s developmentexpenditure gave rise to the belief by many inEast Pakistan that the only remedy wasgreater autonomy and thus more control overits own resources and development prioritiesand politics.

In 1970, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, leader ofthe Awami League, won an electoral majorityin Pakistan’s general election on a platformdemanding greater autonomy for EastPakistan. At the same time Zulfikar Ali Bhuttogained a majority in the West. Despite Mujib’svictory, he was prevented by the Pakistanauthorities from becoming Prime Minister ofthe combined state.

The Awami League then issued its own plansfor a new constitution for an independentstate, as a result of which the Pakistani armytook control and Mujib was arrested in March1971 after a fierce crackdown. Thisprecipitated civil war, with an estimated 9.5million refugees fleeing to India as a result,and led to military intervention by India onthe side of the Mukti Bahini (Bengali‘freedom fighters’) at the beginning ofDecember. Two weeks later, Pakistan forcessurrendered and the separate state ofBangladesh emerged. Sheikh Mujib returnedfrom captivity in Pakistan in January 1972and became Prime Minister.

Instability in the new state was compoundedby floods, famine, the assassination of SheikhMujib in August 1975 – shortly after hebecame President – and a succession ofmilitary coups, with martial law and frequentstates of emergency. After a coup in 1975,Major-General Ziaur Rahman (Zia) assumedthe leadership and in 1978 he becamePresident. The 1979 general election broughthis Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) togovernment. The country then enjoyed aperiod of economic and political stability. Butin 1981 President Zia was murdered in anattempted coup.

In 1982 the then army chief, Lt-GeneralHossain Ershad, assumed power after anothercoup and became President in 1983. In May1986 elections were held in violent conditionsand boycotted by the BNP under Zia’s widow,Begum Khaleda Zia. Ershad’s Jatiya Party (JP)won and the Awami League, led by SheikhHasina, the daughter of Sheikh Mujib,boycotted parliament. Ershad wonpresidential elections in October 1986, andhe lifted martial law and reinstated theconstitution.

The following year was marked by riots andstrikes, a state of emergency, thousands ofarrests, and house-arrest for Begum Zia andSheikh Hasina. A general election of March1988, boycotted by the opposition, returnedthe JP with 238 seats, and the state ofemergency was lifted. Devastating floodsthen ensued covering up to 75 per cent ofthe country and making tens of millionshomeless.

In December 1990, following massdemonstrations, President Hossain Ershadresigned and was put under house arrest.During 1991 he was convicted of illegalpossession of firearms and other offencesand sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment. Inthe February 1991 elections the BNP won138 of the 300 directly elective seats andBegum Khaleda Zia was confirmed as thecountry’s first woman Prime Minister. The

main opposition was the Awami League andits allies, with 95 seats. A nationalreferendum then endorsed a return toparliamentary democracy with a non-executive President. In 1991 a cyclonedevastated the south-east coast, killing anestimated 250,000 people.

Political tensions mounted and oppositiondemands for a fresh general electionincreased from late 1993 into 1994,culminating in the resignation of all theopposition members from the Jatiya Sangsadin December. In 1995, following furtherstrikes and violent protests staged by theopposition, the Jatiya Sangsad was dissolvedat the request of the Prime Minister, pendingthe holding of a general election in 1996.The Awami League, Jatiya Party and Jamaat-e-Islami boycotted the poll and the BNP tookthe majority of votes cast. The oppositionparties renewed their campaign andparalysed the country causing severe damageto the economy. In March 1996, thegovernment agreed to the appointment of aneutral caretaker government to oversee theholding of fresh elections. Begum Ziaresigned and the Jatiya Sangsad wasdissolved.

In the parliamentary elections that followedin June 1996, the Awami League won 146seats, the BNP 116, Jatiya Party 32 andJamaat-e-Islami three. An informal alliancewith the Jatiya Party allowed the AwamiLeague to gain control of the majority ofseats in parliament and Sheikh Hasinabecame Prime Minister, with Begum Zia’s BNPnow the main opposition, which soon begana new campaign of strikes and street protestsand a series of long parliamentary boycotts.In 1997 Ershad was released from prison andin March 1998 the Jatiya Party left the rulingcoalition. The Awami League, which as aresult of a number of by-elections now hadan absolute majority, continued on its own. In1998 the country was again devastated byfloods which covered nearly two-thirds of theland area.

Constitution

Status: Republic

Legislature: Jatiya Sangsad

Independence: 1971

Bangladesh is a republic with a non-executivePresident. Under the Twelfth ConstitutionalAmendment (1991) there is a parliamentarysystem. The unicameral parliament (JatiyaSangsad) comprises 300 directly electedmembers from geographical constituenciesfor five-year terms, plus 50 seats reserved forwomen nominated by political parties –based on their share of the elected seats –

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Two Bangladeshi-born writers have won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize Best First Bookaward: Adib Khan (1995) and Tahmima Anam (2008).

Bangladesh won the cricket ICC Trophy in 1997, going on to host the 2011 Cricket WorldCup, jointly with India and Sri Lanka. The country has also made its mark on theinternational chess circuit, with Niaz Murshed being the first grandmaster to emerge fromSouth Asia when he was awarded the title in 1987.

The Tenth Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting was held in Dhaka, in June2013, with delegates from 30 countries and a theme of ‘Women’s Leadership forEnterprise’.

Muhammad Yunus, Founder of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, delivered the SixthAnnual Commonwealth Lecture, on ‘Halving Poverty by 2015’, in 2003. He was awardedthe Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, jointly with the Bank.

Bangladesh on the international stage

and then voted on by sitting lawmakers. Theallocation of seats reserved for women wasprovided by the Fourteenth ConstitutionalAmendment (2004). One parliamentarycandidate can stand in up to threeconstituencies. If a candidate wins in morethan one constituency a by-election or by-elections are called. Parliament may sit nolonger than five years. Constitutionalamendments require a two-thirds majority ofparliament.

Executive power is with the Prime Minister,who heads a council of ministers (thecabinet), and whose advice is necessary for allpresidential acts. The head of state is thePresident who is elected by the nationalparliament for a five-year term. Thepresidency is a largely ceremonial role,although the President appoints members ofthe cabinet and the judiciary and has thepower to dissolve parliament.

The Thirteenth Constitutional Amendment(1996) required a non-partisan caretakeradministration to oversee the electionprocess. However, following a Supreme Courtjudgment in May 2011 which had found it tobe illegal, on 30 June 2011 the JatiyaSangsad repealed the ThirteenthAmendment.

In November 2007 the caretaker governmentdeclared the independence of the judiciaryfrom the executive, following a directiveissued by the Supreme Court in December1999 – in accordance with Article 22 of theConstitution of Bangladesh. Previous electedgovernments of the Bangladesh NationalistParty and Awami League had effectivelyfilibustered implementing the directive.

Politics

Last elections: 5 January 2014

Next elections: 2019

Head of state: President Abdul Hamid(2013–)

Head of government: Prime MinisterSheikh Hasina

Ruling party: Alliance led by the AwamiLeague

Women MPs: 20%

Following a very violent campaign, in October2001, the four-party alliance led by theBangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won asurprise landslide victory, taking a total of 214of the directly elective seats; the AwamiLeague took 62 and the Islamic NationalUnity Front, which included a faction of theJatiya Party led by Hossain Ershad, 14.

Although international observers declared thegeneral election to be largely free and fairand both the head of the caretaker

government and the chief electioncommissioner rejected the Awami League’sallegation of massive vote-rigging, SheikhHasina called for the elections to be runagain, threatening mass protests and aparliamentary boycott, which hadcharacterised opposition politics duringprevious administrations. The Awami Leaguesubsequently returned to parliament andassumed its role as opposition.

The political temperature remained very highin 2003. In June 2003 the Awami Leaguebegan a boycott of parliament, whichcontinued until June 2004. During 2004 theopposition called 21 general strikes as part ofa campaign to oust the government.

In October 2006, a general election wascalled for January 2007 and PresidentIajuddin Ahmed formed a caretakergovernment. In early January 2007, it wasconfirmed that the Awami League and othersmaller opposition parties were to boycottthe election on the belief that the interimgovernment and election commission werebiased. Following national transportblockades raised by Awami Leaguesupporters who wanted the electionpostponed and ensuing riots, a state ofemergency was imposed and PresidentAhmed postponed the election, stood downas chief adviser of the interim governmentand was succeeded by Dr FakhruddinAhmed, former central bank governor. TheElection Commission then established a roadmap for electoral reform, includingpreparation of a new voters’ list withphotographs.

The election – held in December 2008 withCommonwealth observers present – was wonby the alliance led by the Awami League,

which itself took 230 seats; its ally the Jatiya

Party 27. The BNP won 30 seats and its allies

three. The turnout of the electorate was a

record 87 per cent. Awami League leader

Sheikh Hasina was sworn in as Prime Minister

in January 2009. On 11 February, Zillur

Rahman was elected unopposed to replace

Iajuddin Ahmed as non-executive President.

In late February 2009, the new government

faced its first crisis when a section of the

paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) mutinied,

ostensibly over pay and conditions. Officials

reported 74 deaths – mostly BDR officers –

and more than 1,000 soldiers were arrested

and interrogated. Six special military courts

were established in November 2009 to try

BDR personnel accused of mutiny, while

others charged with murder, looting and

other serious offences were put to trial in

civilian courts. On 23 January 2011 the BDR

was officially renamed Border Guard of

Bangladesh in accordance with the ‘Border

Guard Bangladesh Bill 2010’ passed by the

parliament on 8 December 2010.

In late 2010 the government established a

tribunal to prosecute those accused of

committing war crimes during Bangladesh’s

war of independence in 1971. From January

2013 the first verdicts were given; the first

group to appear before the tribunal

comprised nine leading members of Jamaat-

e-Islami and two members of the opposition

BNP and violent protests erupted in early

March.

President Zillur Rahman died on 20 March

2013. Speaker Abdul Hamid, who had been

acting President since 14 March, was elected

President unopposed by parliament on 22

April and was sworn in on 24 April.

Bangladesh

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National Web Portal of Bangladesh: www.bangladesh.gov.bdBangladesh Election Commission: www.ecs.gov.bdJatiya Sangsad: www.parliament.gov.bdBangladesh Bureau of Statistics: www.bbs.gov.bdBangladesh Bank: www.bangladesh-bank.orgBangladesh Tourism Board: www.tourismboard.gov.bdCommonwealth Secretariat: www.thecommonwealth.orgCommonwealth of Nations: www.commonwealthofnations.org/

country/BangladeshMediaDaily Sun: www.daily-sun.comNew Age: http://newagebd.net/The Daily Star: www.thedailystar.netThe Independent: www.theindependentbd.comThe New Nation: nation.ittefaq.comDhaka Courier: www.dhakacourier.com.bdHoliday: www.weeklyholiday.netBangladesh Television: www.btv.gov.bdbdnews24: www.bdnews24.comBangladesh Sangbad Sangstha: www.bssnews.net

Further information

The election on 5 January 2014 wasboycotted by the BNP, which had called forthe polls to be held under a caretakergovernment. As a result, voting took place inonly 147 of the country’s 300 constituencies,with 153 seats uncontested. The AwamiLeague obtained 231 seats overall, achievinga two-thirds majority in parliament. TheJatiya Party took 34 seats and formed theparliamentary opposition. However, theJatiya Party also accepted several cabinetpositions.

Commonwealth Secretary-General KamaleshSharma said on 6 January 2014 that: ‘Thelimited levels of participation and the lowvoter turnout are disappointing. The acts ofviolence are deeply troubling ... Therefore, itis critical that Bangladesh moves quickly to

find a path forward through dialogue to amore inclusive and peaceful political processin which the will of the people can be fullyexpressed.’ The new government was swornin on 12 January.

International relations

Bangladesh is a member of the Indian OceanRim Association, Non-Aligned Movement,Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, SouthAsian Association for Regional Cooperation,United Nations and World TradeOrganization.

Traveller information

Immigration and customs: Passports mustbe valid for at least three months from the

date of departure. Visas are required by allCommonwealth nationals.

Travel within the country: Traffic drives onthe left. Visitors wishing to drive will need aninternational driving permit.

Domestic flights connect Dhaka with most ofthe other main towns. Rail travel is slow; themain line is between Dhaka and Chittagong.A ferry operates from Dhaka to Khulna. Inurban areas cycle-rickshaws and taxis arewidely available.

Travel health: Prevalent diseases whereappropriate precautionary measures arerecommended include cholera, dengue fever,diphtheria, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, Japaneseencephalitis, malaria, rabies and typhoid.

There were 303,000 tourist arrivals in 2010.

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Bangladesh

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