Bangladesh

• tropical;
• mild winter (October to March);
• hot, humid summer (March to June);
• humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)

total:

35.87 cu km/yr (10%/2%/88%)

per capita:

238.3 cu m/yr (2008)

• droughts;
• cyclones;
• much of the country routinely inundated during the summer monsoon season

• many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land;
• waterborne diseases prevalent in surface water;
• water pollution, especially of fishing areas, results from the use of commercial pesticides;
• ground water contaminated by naturally occurring arsenic;
• intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country;
• soil degradation and erosion;
• deforestation;
• severe overpopulation

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

noun:

Bangladeshi(s)

adjective:

Bangladeshi

at birth:

1.04 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.03 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

0.87 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

0.9 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.96 male(s)/female

total population:

0.95 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

total number:

4,485,497

percentage:

13 % (2006 est.)

conventional long form:

People's Republic of Bangladesh

conventional short form:

Bangladesh

local long form:

Gana Prajatantri Bangladesh

local short form:

Bangladesh

former:

East Bengal, East Pakistan

name:

Dhaka

geographic coordinates:

23 43 N, 90 24 E

time difference:

UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

• Independence Day, 26 March (1971);
• Victory Day;
• note - March 1971 is the date of the Awami League's declaration of an independent Bangladesh, and 16 December, known as Victory Day, memorializes the military victory over Pakistan and the official creation of the state of Bangladesh

• previous 1935, 1956, 1962 (preindependence);
• latest enacted 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspendedMarch 1982, restored November 1986;
• amended many times, last in 2011 (2011)

chief of state:

• President Abdul HAMID (since 24 April 2013);
• note - Abdul HAMID served as acting president following the death of Zillur RAHMAN in March 2013;
• HAMID was subsequently elected by the National Parliament and was sworn in 24 April 2013

head of government:

Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA (since 6 January 2009)

cabinet:

Cabinet selected by the prime minister and appointed by the president; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

elections:

president elected by National Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); last election held on 29 April 2013 (next must be held by 2018)

election results:

President Abdul HAMID was elected by the National Parliament unopposed

• unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad;
• 300 seats (45 reserved for women) elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies;
• members serve five-year terms

elections:

last held on 29 December 2008 (next to be held on 5 January 2014)

election results:

percent of vote by party - AL 49%, BNP 33.2%, JP 7%, JIB 4.6%, other 6.2%; seats by party - AL 230, BNP 30, JP 27, JIB 2, other 11

highest court(s):

Supreme Court of Bangladesh (organized into the Appellate Division with 7 justices and the High Court Division with 99 justices)

judge selection and term of office:

chief justice and justices appointed by the president; justices serve until retirement at age 67

subordinate courts:

civil courts include:

• Assistant Judge's Court;
• Joint District Judge's Court;
• Additional District Judge's Court;
• District Judge's Court;
• criminal courts include: Court of Sessions;
• Court of Metropolitan Sessions;
• special courts/tribunals;
• Metropolitan Magistrate Courts;
• Magistrate Court

• Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]
• Communist Party of Bangladesh or CPB [Manjurul A. KHAN]
• Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Khaleda ZIA]
• Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh or BDB [Badrudozza CHOWDHURY]
• Islami Oikya Jote or IOJ [multiple leaders]
• Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh or JIB [Matiur Rahman NIZAMI]
• Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD]
• Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Oli AHMED]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Akramul QADER (since 1 September 2009)

chancery:

3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 244-0183

FAX:

[1] (202) 244-7830/2771

consulate(s) general:

Los Angeles, New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Dan W. MOZENA (since 11 November 2011)

embassy:

Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212

mailing address:

G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000

telephone:

[880] (2) 885-5500

FAX:

[880] (2) 882-3744

• green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to the hoist side of center;
• the red disk represents the rising sun and the sacrifice to achieve independence;
• the green field symbolizes the lush vegetation of Bangladesh

agriculture:

45%

industry:

30%

services:

25% (2008)

lowest 10%:

4%

highest 10%:

27% (2010 est.)

general assessment:

• inadequate for a modern country;
• introducing digital systems;
• trunk systems include VHF and UHF microwave radio relay links, and some fiber-optic cable in cities

domestic:

• fixed-line teledensity remains only about 1 per 100 persons;
• mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has been increasing rapidly and now exceeds 50 telephones per 100 persons

international:

• country code - 880;
• landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-4 fiber-optic submarine cable system that provides links to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia;
• satellite earth stations - 6;
• international radiotelephone communications and landline service to neighboring countries (2011)

• state-owned Bangladesh Television (BTV) operates 1 terrestrial TV station, 3 radio networks, and about 10 local stations;
• 8 private satellite TV stations and 3 private radio stations also broadcasting;
• foreign satellite TV stations are gaining audience share in the large cities;
• several international radio broadcasters are available (2007)

total:

2,622 km

country comparison to the world: 64

broad gauge:

946 km 1.676-m gauge

narrow gauge:

1,676 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)

total:

21,269 km

country comparison to the world: 106

paved:

1,063 km

unpaved:

20,206 km (2010)

major seaport(s):

Chittagong

river port(s):

Mongla Port (Sela River)

container port(s):

Chittagong (1,392,104) (2011)

• the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial waters of Bangladesh remain a risk for armed robbery against ships;
• attacks against vessels have decreased over the last few years in response to improved local security

• 16-19 years of age for voluntary military service;
• Bangladeshi birth and 10th grade education required;
• initial obligation 15 years (2012)

males age 16-49:

30,486,086

females age 16-49:

35,616,093 (2010 est.)

male:

1,606,963

female:

1,689,442 (2010 est.)

• Bangladesh referred its maritime boundary claims with Burma and India to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea;
• Indian Prime Minister Singh's September 2011 visit to Bangladesh resulted in the signing of a Protocol to the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh, which had called for the settlement of longstanding boundary disputes over undemarcated areas and the exchange of territorial enclaves, but which had never been implemented;
• Bangladesh struggles to accommodate 29,000 Rohingya, Burmese Muslim minority from Arakan State, living as refugees in Cox's Bazar;
• Burmese border authorities are constructing a 200 km (124 mi) wire fence designed to deter illegal cross-border transit and tensions from the military build-up along border

refugees (country of origin):

230,674 (Burma) (2012)

IDPs:

undetermined (land conflicts, religious persecution) (2012)