Bangladesh

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

agricultural land:

70.1%;

• arable land 59%;
• permanent crops 6.5%;
• permanent pasture 4.6%

forest:

11.1%

other:

18.8% (2011 est.)

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:

0.89 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

0.9 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.97 male(s)/female

total population:

0.95 male(s)/female (2015 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

note: the name - a compound of the Bengali words "Bangla" (Bengal) and "desh" (country) - means Country of Bengal

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, 16 December (1971);
• 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, suspended March 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 indirectly elected by the National Parliament and sworn in 24 April 2013

head of government:

Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA (since 6 January 2009; reappointed 5 January 2014)

cabinet:

Cabinet selected by the prime minister, appointed by the president

elections/appointments:

• president indirectly elected by the National Parliament for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held on 22 April 2013 (next must be held by 2018);
• the president appoints as prime minister the majority party leader in the National Parliament

election results:

President Abdul HAMID (AL) elected by the National Parliament unopposed; Sheikh HASINA reappointed prime minister as leader of the majority AL party

description:

unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad (300 seats including 45 reserved for women; members directly elected in single territorial constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)

elections:

• last held on 5 January 2014 (next to be held by January 2019);
• note - the 5 January 2014 poll was marred by widespread violence, boycotts, general strikes, and low voter turnout

election results:

percent of vote by party - AL-led Alliance 79%, JP 34%; seats by party - AL 234, JP 34, other 32

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 Front or BNF [Abdul Kalam AZADI]
• Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Khaleda ZIA]
• Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh or BDB [Badrudozza CHOWDHURY]
• Islami Oikya Jote or IOJ [multiple leaders]
• Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD]
• Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Oli AHMED]
• National Socialist Party or JSD [KHALEQUZZAMAN]
• Tarikat Foundation [Syed Nozibul Bashar MAIZBHANDARI]
• Workers Party or WP [Rashed Khan MENON]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Mohammad ZIAUDDIN (since 18 September 2014)

chancery:

3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 244-0183

FAX:

[1] (202) 244-2771

consulate(s) general:

Los Angeles, New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Marcia BERNICAT (since 12 January 2015)

embassy:

Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212

mailing address:

G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000

telephone:

[880] (2) 5566-2000

FAX:

[880] (2) 5566-2915

• 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

name:

"Amar Shonar Bangla" (My Golden Bengal)

lyrics/music:

Rabindranath TAGORE

note: adopted 1971; Rabindranath TAGORE, a Nobel laureate, also wrote India's national anthem

agriculture:

47%

industry:

13%

services:

40% (2010 est.)

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 67 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:

2,460 km

broad gauge:

659 km 1.676-m gauge

narrow gauge:

1,801 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)

country comparison to the world: 60

total:

21,269 km

paved:

1,063 km

unpaved:

20,206 km (2010)

country comparison to the world: 106

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):

232,462 (Burma) (2014)

IDPs:

at least 431,000 (violence, human rights violations, religious persecution, natural disasters) (2015)