Bangladesh

republicIndependence 16 December 1971 (from Pakistan

Bangladesh as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 69 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalDhaka

Area144,000 km2

Populationas each edition published it

116.6 million July 1991 · 118.43m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.35% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 21.2 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 54.7 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4.7 children per woman 1991 · 5.7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

118 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 136 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $200 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.8% in 1993

Geography

11 fields

Total area

144,000km2

land area: 133,910 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than Wisconsin

Land boundaries

4,246km total

Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km

Coastline

580 km Contiguous zone: 18 nm;
Continental shelf: up to outer limits of continental margin;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm

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

Natural resources

natural gas, uranium, arable land, timber

Land use

arable land 67%;
permanent crops 2%;
meadows and pastures 4%;
forest and woodland 16%;
other 11%;
includes irrigated 14%

Environment

vulnerable to droughts;
much of country routinely flooded during summer monsoon season;
overpopulation;
deforestation

People

14 fields

Population

116,601,424

(July 1991), growth rate 2.3% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

36Death

13Net migration

Literacy

35%

(male 47%, female 22%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality

noun--Bangladeshi(s); adjective--Bangladesh

Ethnic divisions

Bengali 98%, Biharis 250,000, and tribals less than 1 million

Religion

Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, Buddhist, Christian, and other less than 1%

Labor force

35,100,000;
agriculture 74%, services 15%, industry and commerce 11% (FY86);
extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman (1991)

Organized labor

3% of labor force belongs to 2,614 registered unions (1986 est.)

Government

Republic

16 fields

SWAS received 52.1% of parliamentary vote National Parliament, 329 seats, elected 27 February 1991seats by party

(330 total, 300 elected and 30 seats reserved for women) BNP 168AL 93JP 35JI 20CBP 5Workers Party 1SIRAJ 1Ganotantri Party 1Islami Oikya Jote 1NDP 1independents 3

64 districts (zillagulo, singular--zilla); Bagerhat, Bandarban, Barguna, Barisal, Bhola, Bogra, Brahmanbaria, Chandpur, Chapai Nawabganj, Chattagram, Chuadanga, Comilla, Cox's Bazar, Dhaka, Dinajpur, Faridpur, Feni, Gaibandha, Gazipur, Gopalganj, Habiganj, Jaipurhat, Jamalpur, Jessore, Jhalakati, Jhenaidah, Khagrachari, Khulna, Kishorganj, Kurigram, Kushtia, Laksmipur, Lalmonirhat, Madaripur, Magura, Manikganj, Meherpur, Moulavibazar, Munshiganj, Mymensingh, Naogaon, Narail, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Nator, Netrakona, Nilphamari, Noakhali, Pabna, Panchagar, Parbattya Chattagram, Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Rajbari, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Satkhira, Shariyatpur, Sherpur, Sirajganj, Sunamganj, Sylhet, Tangail, Thakurgaon

Independence

16 December 1971 (from Pakistan; formerly East Pakistan)

Constitution

4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986, amended NA March 1991

Legal system

based on English common law

National holiday

Independence Day, 26 March (1971)

Executive branch

president, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch

unicameral National Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court Chief of State--President Abdur Rahman BISWAS (since 8 October 1991) Head of Government--Prime Minister Khaleda ZIAUR Rahman (since 20 March 1991) Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Khaleda ZIAUR Rahman;
Awami League, Sheikh Hasina WAZED;
Jatiyo Party, Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD;
Jamaat-E-Islami, Ali KHAN;
Bangladesh Communist Party (pro-Soviet), Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK;
National Awami Party (Muzaffar);
Workers Party, leader NA;
Jatiyo Samajtantik Dal (National Socialist Party--SIRAJ), M. A. JALIL;
Ganotantri Party, leader NA;
Islami Oikya Jote, leader NA;
National Democratic Party, leader NA;
Muslim League, Khan A. SABUR;
Democratic League, Khondakar MUSHTAQUE Ahmed;
United People's Party, Kazi ZAFAR Ahmed

Suffrage

universal at age 18 President--last held 8 October 1991 (next to be held by October 1996);
results--Abdur Rahman BISWAS received 52.1% of parliamentary vote National Parliament--last held 27 February 1991 (next to be held February 1996);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(330 total, 300 elected and 30 seats reserved for women) BNP 168, AL 93, JP 35, JI 20, CBP 5, National Awami Party (Muzaffar) 1, Workers Party 1, SIRAJ 1, Ganotantri Party 1, Islami Oikya Jote 1, NDP 1, independents 3

Communists

5,000 members (1987 est.)

Member of

AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WHO, WFTU, WIPO, WCL, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador A. H. S. Ataul KARIM;
Chancery at 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington DC 20007;
telephone (202) 342-8372 through 8376;
there is a Bangladesh Consulate General in New York;
US--Ambassador William B. MILAM;
Embassy at Diplomatic Enclave, Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka (mailing address is G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1212);
telephone [880] (2) 884700-22

Flag

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

Economy

Bangladesh is one of the poorest nations in the world.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$20.4billion

per capita $180; real growth rate 4.0% (1990 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

10%

(FY90 est.)

Unemployment rate

30%

(FY90 est.)

External debt

$10.9billion

(FY90 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$2.2 billionExpenditures

$3.9 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (FY90)

Overview

Bangladesh is one of the poorest nations in the world. The economy is based on the output of a narrow range of agricultural products, such as jute, which is the main cash crop and major source of export earnings. Bangladesh is hampered by a relative lack of natural resources, population growth of more than 2% a year, large-scale unemployment, and a limited infrastructure;

furthermore, it is highly vulnerable to natural disasters. Despite these constraints, real GDP growth averaged about 3.5% annually during 1985-89. A strong agricultural performance in FY90 pushed the growth rate up to 5.5%. Alleviation of poverty remains the cornerstone of the government's development strategy.

Exports

$1.5 billion (FY90 est.);
commodities--jute, tea, leather, shrimp, textiles;
partners--US 25%, Western Europe 22%, Middle East 9%, Japan 8%, Eastern Europe 7%

Imports

$3.6 billion (FY90 est.);
commodities--food, petroleum and other energy, nonfood consumer goods, semiprocessed goods, and capital equipment;
partners--Western Europe 18%, Japan 14%, Middle East 9%, US 8%

Industrial production

growth rate 4.1% (FY90 est.); accounts for 15% of GDP

Electricity

1,990,000 kW capacity; 5,700 million kWh produced, 50 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries

jute manufacturing, base metals, food processing, cotton textiles, tobacco processing, chemicals

Agriculture

accounts for about 40% of GDP, 60% of employment, and one third of exports;
imports 10% of food grain requirements;
world's largest exporter of jute;
commercial products--jute, rice, wheat, tea, sugarcane, potatoes, beef, milk, poultry;
shortages include wheat, vegetable oils and cotton;
fish catch 778,000 metric tons in 1986

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.4 billion;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-88), $10.6 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $652 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $1.5 billion

Currency

taka (plural--taka); 1 taka (Tk) = 100 paise

Exchange rates

taka (Tk) per US$1--35.790 (January 1991), 34.567 (1990), 32.270 (1989), 31.733 (1988), 30.950 (1987), 30.407 (1986), 27.995 (1985)

Fiscal year

1 July-30 June

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 47 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 38petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 2refrigerated cargo 3roll-on/roll-off 1bulk 347 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 339,081 GRT/500,008 DWT

Airports, 16 total, 12 usable

permanent-surface runways

12runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

4runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

7,240Railroads

2,892Pipelines

1,220

Highways: (1985); 3,840 km paved, 3,400 km unpaved · Railroads: (1986); 1,914 km 1.000 meter gauge, 978 km 1.676 meter broad gauge