Bangladesh

§1. Bangladesh Introduction

Background:
  Bangladesh came into existence in 1971 when Bengali East Pakistan seceded
  from its union with West Pakistan. About a third of this extremely poor
  country floods annually during the monsoon rainy season, hampering economic
  development.

§2. Bangladesh Geography

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

Geographic coordinates:
  24 00 N, 90 00 E

Map references:
  Asia

Area:
  total: 144,000 km²
  land: 133,910 km²
  water: 10,090 km²

Area - comparative:
  slightly smaller than Iowa

Land boundaries:
  total: 4,246 km
  border countries: Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km

Coastline:
  580 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 18 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: up to the outer limits of the continental margin

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

Terrain:
  mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
  highest point: Keokradong 1,230 m

Natural resources:
  natural gas, arable land, timber, coal

Land use:
  arable land: 55.39%
  permanent crops: 3.08%
  other: 41.53% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  38,440 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
  droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during the
  summer monsoon season

Environment - current issues:
  many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone
  land; water-borne 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

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
    Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
    Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing from the
    Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the
    Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay
    of Bengal

§3. Bangladesh People

Population:
  147,365,352 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 32.9% (male 24,957,997/female 23,533,894)
  15-64 years: 63.6% (male 47,862,774/female 45,917,674)
  65 years and over: 3.5% (male 2,731,578/female 2,361,435) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 22.2 years
  male: 22.2 years
  female: 22.2 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  2.09% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  29.8 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  8.27 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -0.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.16 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 60.83 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 61.87 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 59.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 62.46 years
  male: 62.47 years
  female: 62.45 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  3.11 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  13,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  650 (2001 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and
    typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high risks in some
    locations
  water contact disease: leptospirosis
  animal contact disease: rabies (2005)

Nationality:
  noun: Bangladeshi(s)
  adjective: Bangladeshi

Ethnic groups:
  Bengali 98%, tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims (1998)

Religions:
  Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998)

Languages:
  Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 43.1%
  male: 53.9%
  female: 31.8% (2003 est.)

§4. Bangladesh Government

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

Government type:
  parliamentary democracy

Capital:
  Dhaka

Administrative divisions:
  6 divisions; Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet

Independence:
  16 December 1971 (from West Pakistan); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of
  independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is known as Victory Day
  and commemorates the official creation of the state of Bangladesh

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 26 March (1971); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of
  independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is Victory Day and
  commemorates the official creation of the state of Bangladesh

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

Legal system:
  based on English common law

Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Iajuddin AHMED (since 6 September 2002); 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 Khaleda ZIA (since 10 October 2001)
  cabinet: Cabinet selected by the prime minister and appointed by the
    president
  elections: president elected by National Parliament for a five-year term;
    election scheduled for 16 September 2002 was not held since Iajuddin
    AHMED was the only presidential candidate; he was sworn in on 6 September
    2002 (next election to be held by 2007); following legislative elections,
    the leader of the party that wins the most seats is usually appointed
    prime minister by the president
  election results: Iajuddin AHMED declared by the Election Commission
    elected unopposed as president; percent of National Parliament vote - NA

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300 seats elected by
  popular vote from single territorial constituencies (the constitutional
  amendment reserving 30 seats for women over and above the 300 regular
  parliament seats expired in May 2001); members serve five-year terms
  elections: last held 1 October 2001 (next to be held no later than January
    2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - BNP and alliance partners 41%,
    AL 40%; seats by party - BNP 193, AL 58, JI 17, JP (Ershad faction) 14,
    IOJ 2, JP (Manzur) 4, other 12; note - the election of October 2001
    brought a majority BNP government aligned with three other smaller
    parties - JI, IOJ, and Jatiya Party (Manzur)

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (the chief justices and other judges are appointed by the
  president)

Political parties and leaders:
  Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]; Bangladesh Communist Party or BCP
  [Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK]; Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Khaleda ZIA];
  Islami Oikya Jote or IOJ [Mufti Fazlul Haq AMINI]; Jamaat-e-Islami or JI
  [Motiur Rahman NIZAMI]; Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Hussain
  Mohammad ERSHAD]; Jatiya Party (Manzur faction) [Naziur Rahman MANZUR]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

International organization participation:
  AsDB, BIMSTEC, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory),
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, SAARC,
  SACEP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS,
  UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Shamsher Mobin CHOWDHURY
  chancery: 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 244-0183
  FAX: [1] (202) 244-5366
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Pat BUTENIS
  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

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

§5. Bangladesh Economy

Economy - overview:
  Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve economic
  and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains a poor, overpopulated, and
  inefficiently-governed nation. Although half of GDP is generated through
  the service sector, nearly two-thirds of Bangladeshis are employed in the
  agriculture sector, with rice as the single-most- important product. Major
  impediments to growth include frequent cyclones and floods, inefficient
  state-owned enterprises, inadequate port facilities, a rapidly growing
  labor force that cannot be absorbed by agriculture, delays in exploiting
  energy resources (natural gas), insufficient power supplies, and slow
  implementation of economic reforms. Reform is stalled in many instances by
  political infighting and corruption at all levels of government. Progress
  also has been blocked by opposition from the bureaucracy, public sector
  unions, and other vested interest groups. The BNP government, led by Prime
  Minister Khaleda ZIA, has the parliamentary strength to push through needed
  reforms, but the party's political will to do so has been lacking in key
    areas. One encouraging note: growth has been a steady 5% for the past
    several years.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $301.4 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $63.39 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  5.4% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $2,100 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 20.5%
  industry: 26.7%
  services: 52.8% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
  66.6 million
  note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar,
    and Malaysia; workers' remittances estimated at $1.71 billion in 1998-99
    (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 63%, industry 11%, services 26% (FY95/96)

Unemployment rate:
  2.5% (includes underemployment) (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  45% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 3.9%
  highest 10%: 28.6% (1995-96 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  31.8 (2000)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  6.7% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  24.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $5.993 billion
  expenditures: $8.598 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005
    est.)

Public debt:
  46.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses, oilseeds,
  spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry

Industries:
  cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper newsprint, cement,
  chemical fertilizer, light engineering, sugar

Industrial production growth rate:
  6.7% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
  17.42 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  16.2 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  6,825 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - consumption:
  84,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
  28.45 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
  11.9 billion m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  11.9 billion m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
  0 m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
  0 m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  300.2 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
  $-591 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $9.372 billion (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  garments, jute and jute goods, leather, frozen fish and seafood (2001)

Exports - partners:
  US 22.4%, Germany 14.5%, UK 11.2%, France 6.9%, Italy 4% (2004)

Imports:
  $12.97 billion (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs,
  petroleum products, cement (2000)

Imports - partners:
  India 15.1%, China 12.5%, Singapore 7.5%, Kuwait 5.5%, Japan 5.3%, Hong
  Kong 4.5% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $3.45 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $21.25 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $1.575 billion (2000 est.)

Currency (code):
  taka (BDT)

Exchange rates:
  taka per US dollar - 64.328 (2005), 59.513 (2004), 58.15 (2003), 57.888
  (2002), 55.807 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  1 July - 30 June

§6. Bangladesh Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  831,000 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  2,781,600 (2004)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: totally inadequate for a modern country
  domestic: modernizing; introducing digital systems; trunk systems include
    VHF and UHF microwave radio relay links, and some fiber-optic cable in
    cities
  international: country code - 880; satellite earth stations - 6;
    international radiotelephone communications and landline service to
    neighboring countries (2005)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 12, FM 12, shortwave 2 (1999)

Television broadcast stations:
  15 (1999)

Internet country code:
  .bd

Internet hosts:
  266 (2005)

Internet users:
  300,000 (2005)

§7. Bangladesh Transportation

Airports:
  16 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 15
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 5 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2005)

Pipelines:
  gas 2,012 km (2004)

Railways:
  total: 2,706 km
  broad gauge: 884 km 1.676-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 239,226 km
  paved: 22,726 km
  unpaved: 216,500 km (2003)

Waterways:
  8,372 km
  note: includes 5,635 km main cargo routes; network reduced to 5,200 km in
    dry season (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 44 ships (1000 GRT or over) 360,053 GRT/511,789 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 30, container 6, passenger/cargo 1,
    petroleum tanker 4
  foreign-owned: 11 (China 1, Saudi Arabia 1, Singapore 9)
  registered in other countries: 11 (Antigua and Barbuda 4, Comoros 1, Malta
    3, Panama 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Singapore 1) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Chittagong, Mongla Port

§8. Bangladesh Military

Military branches:
  Army, Navy, Air Force

Military service age and obligation:
  18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 18-49: 35,170,019 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 26,841,255 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $1.01 billion (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  1.8% (2005 est.)

§9. Bangladesh Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  discussions with India remain stalled to delimit a small section of river
  boundary, exchange 162 miniscule enclaves in both countries, allocate
  divided villages, and stop illegal cross-border trade, migration, violence,
  and transit of terrorists through the porous border; Bangladesh resists
  India's attempts to fence or wall off high-traffic sections of the porous
  boundary; a joint Bangladesh-India boundary inspection in 2005 revealed 92
  pillars are missing; dispute with India over New Moore/South
  Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime boundary
  delimitation; Burmese Muslim refugees strain Bangladesh's meager resources

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 20,402 (Burma)
  IDPs: 61,000 (land conflicts, religious persecution) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries


<Factbook 2006>
