Bangladesh

People's Republic of Bangladesh

republicIndependence 16 December 1971 (from Pakistan)

Bangladesh as the 1998 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 95 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

Position24 00 N, 90 00 E

Area144,000 sq km

LocationSouthern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma

Populationas each edition published it

127.57 million July 1998 est. · 118.43m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.76% 1998 est. · 2.35% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 21.2 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

56.66 years 1998 est. · 54.7 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

3.32 children per woman 1998 est. · 5.7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

97.67 deaths per 1,000 live births 1998 est. · 136 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$1,330 1997 est. · $200 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

5.5% 1997 est. · 3.8% in 1993

Geography

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

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Land useshare of 144,000 sq km

arable land 73%permanent crops 2%permanent pastures 5%forests and woodland 15%other 5% (1993 est.)irrigated 31,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

144,000sq km

land: 133,910 sq kmwater: 10,090 sq kmslightly smaller than Wisconsin

Coastline

580km

contiguous zone: 18 nmcontinental shelf: up to the outer limits of the continental marginexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Highest point

957m

Reng Tlanglowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

Land boundaries

4,246km

border countries: Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km

Location

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

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 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

People

15 fields

Population

127,567,002

(July 1998 est.)growth rate: 1.76% (1998 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1998 est.)

Birth

28.89Death

10.6Net migration

-0.69

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1998 est.)56.66

56.69 · 56.63

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)38.1%

49.4% · 26.1%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Religions

Muslim 88.3%Hindu 10.5%other 1.2%

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.)

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.)

Nationality

noun:: Bangladeshi(s)
adjective:: Bangladesh

Ethnic groups

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

Government

Republic; President Shahabuddin AHMED (since 9 October 1996); Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA Wajed (since 23 June 1996)

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Legislature, 330 seats, elected 12 June 1996seats by party

AL 178BNP 113JP 33JI 3other 2election still to be held 1

Country name

conventional long form:: People's Republic of Bangladesh
conventional short form:: Bangladesh
former:: East Pakistan

Administrative divisions

4 divisions; Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi note: there may be two new divisions named Barisal and Sylhet

Constitution

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

Executive branch

chief of state:: President Shahabuddin AHMED (since 9 October 1996);
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 Sheikh HASINA Wajed (since 23 June 1996)
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 24 July 1996 (next to be held by NA October 2001);
following legislative elections, the leader of the party that wins the most seats is usually appointed prime minister by the president
election results:: Shahabuddin AHMED elected president without opposition; percent of National Parliament vote-NA

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 12 June 1996 (next to be held NA 2001)
election results:: percent of vote by party-AL 33.87%, BNP 30.87%;
seats by party-AL 178, BNP 113, JP 33, JI 3, other 2, election still to be held 1;
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 Khwaja Mohammad SHEHABUDDIN
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 John C. HOLZMAN
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, and secondarily, the traditional color of Islam

Economy

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.

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GDP, purchasing power parity

-$167billion

purchasing power parity · (1997 est.)

GDP per capita, PPP

-$1,330

purchasing power parity · (1997 est.)

Real growth rate

5.5%

(1997 est.)industrial production growth: 5.3% (1996)

Inflation, consumer prices

2.5%

(1996)

GDP-composition by sector(1996)

agriculture 30%industry 18%services 52% (1996)

Budget

Revenues

$3.6 billionExpenditures

$5.3 billion

expenditures including capital expenditures of $3 billion (FY96/97)

Fixed lines

249,800

(1994 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 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.

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)

Industries

jute manufacturing, cotton textiles, food processing, steel, fertilizer

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$1-45.450 (January 1998), 43.892 (1997), 41.794 (1996), 40.278 (1995), 40.212 (1994), 39.567 (1993)

Fiscal year

1 July-30 June Communications

Telephone system

domestic:: poor 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

Radios

Television broadcast stations

Televisions

350,000 (1993 est.)

Transportation

9 fields

Merchant marine, 39 ships by typeone square, one ship · (1997 est.)

bulk 2cargo 31oil tanker 2refrigerated cargo 2roll-on/roll-off cargo 2

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m

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

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

over 3,047 m

Networkskm

Highways

223,391Railways

2,892

Highways: paved: 16,084 km · unpaved: 207,307 km (1995 est.) · Railways: broad gauge: 978 km 1.676-m gauge · narrow gauge: 1,914 km 1.000-m gauge (1992)

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)

Pipelines

natural gas 1,220 km

Ports and harbors

Chittagong, Dhaka, Chalna Port (Mongla)

Airports

16 (1997 est.)

Military

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces | (includes Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Ansars, Armed Police Reserve, | Village Defense Parties, National Cadet Corps)

5 fields

Military expenditures-percent of GDP

1.7%

(FY95/96)