Bangladesh




                                 Geography


Location:
     Southern Asia, at the head of the Bay of Bengal, almost completely
     surrounded by India
Map references:
     Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     144,000 sq km
land area:
     133,910 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Land boundaries:
     total 4,246 km, Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km
Coastline:
     580 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
     18 nm
continental shelf:
     up to outer limits of continental margin
exclusive economic zone:
     200 nm
territorial sea:
     12 nm
International 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, arable land, timber
Land use:
arable land:
     67%
permanent crops:
     2%
meadows and pastures:
     4%
forest and woodland:
     16%
other:
     11%
Irrigated land:
     27,380 sq km (1989)




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
natural hazards:
     vulnerable to droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely
     flooded during the summer monsoon season
international agreements:
     party to - Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous
     Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not
     ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea


                                  People


Population:
     125,149,469 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     2.33% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     35.02 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     11.68 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     106.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     55.08 years
male:
     55.35 years
female:
     54.8 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     4.47 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Bangladeshi(s)
adjective:
Ethnic divisions:
     Bengali 98%, Biharis 250,000, tribals less than 1 million
Religions:
     Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, Buddhist, Christian, other
Languages:
     Bangla (official), English
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
     35%




male:
     47%
female:
     22%
Labor force:
     50.1 million
by occupation:
     agriculture 65%, services 21%, industry and mining 14% (1989)
note:
     extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman (1991)


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     People's Republic of Bangladesh
conventional short form:
former:
     East Pakistan
Digraph:
     BG
Type:
     republic
Capital:
     Dhaka
Administrative divisions:
     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)
National holiday:
     Independence Day, 26 March (1971)
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 Abdur Rahman BISWAS (since 8 October 1991); election last
     held 8 October 1991 (next to be held by NA October 1996); results -
     Abdur Rahman BISWAS received 52.1% of parliamentary vote




head of government:
     Prime Minister Khaleda ZIAur RAHMAN (since 20 March 1991)
cabinet:
     Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
     unicameral
National Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad):
     elections last held 27 February 1991 (next to be held NA 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,
     BCP 5, National Awami Party (Muzaffar) 1, Workers Party 1, JSD 1,
     Ganotantri Party 1, Islami Oikya Jote 1, NDP 1, independents 3
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
     Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Khaleda ZIAur RAHMAN; Awami League
     (AL), Sheikh Hasina WAJED; Jatiyo Party (JP), Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD
     (in jail); Jamaat-E-Islami (JI), Ali KHAN; Bangladesh Communist Party
     (BCP), Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK; National Awami Party (Muzaffar); Workers
     Party, leader NA; Jatiyo Samajtantik Dal (JSD), Serajul ALAM KHAN;
     Ganotantri Party, leader NA; Islami Oikya Jote, leader NA; National
     Democratic Party (NDP), leader NA; Muslim League, Khan A. SABUR;
     Democratic League, Khondakar MUSHTAQUE Ahmed; Democratic League,
     Khondakar MUSHTAQUE Ahmed; United People's Party, Kazi ZAFAR Ahmed
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, IOM, ISO,
     ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
     UNIKOM, UNOMIG, UNOMOZ, UNOMUR, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UPU, WCL,
     WHO, WFTU, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Abul AHSAN
chancery:
     2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone:
     (202) 342-8372 through 8376
consulate(s) general:
     New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador David MERRILL
embassy:
     Diplomatic Enclave, Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka
mailing address:
     G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1212
telephone:
     [880] (2) 884700-22
FAX:
     [880] (2) 883-744
Flag:
     green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side of center;
     green is the traditional color of Islam




                                  Economy


Overview:
     Bangladesh is one of the world's poorest, most densely populated, and
     least developed nations. Its economy is overwhelmingly agricultural,
     with the cultivation of rice the single most important activity in the
     economy. Major impediments to growth include frequent cyclones and
     floods, government interference with the economy, a rapidly growing
     labor force that cannot be absorbed by agriculture, a low level of
     industrialization, failure to fully exploit energy resources (natural
     gas), and inefficient and inadequate power supplies. Excellent rice
     crops and expansion of the export garment industry helped growth in
     FY92 and FY93. Policy reforms intended to reduce government regulation
     of private industry and promote public-sector efficiency have been
     announced but are being implemented only slowly.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $122 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     4.3% (FY93)
National product per capita:
     $1,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     1.4% (FY93)
Unemployment rate:
     NA%
Budget:
revenues:
     $2.5 billion
expenditures:
     $3.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92)
Exports:
     $2.1 billion (FY93)
commodities:
     garments, jute and jute goods, leather, shrimp
partners:
     US 33%, Western Europe 39% (Germany 8.4%, Italy 6%) (FY92 est.)
Imports:
     $3.5 billion (FY93)
commodities:
     capital goods, petroleum, food, textiles
partners:
     Hong Kong 7.5%, Singapore 7.4%, China 7.4%, Japan 7.1% (FY92 est.)
External debt:
     $13.5 billion (June 1993)
Industrial production:
     growth rate 6.9% (FY93 est.); accounts for 9.4% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
     2,400,000 kW
production:
     9 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
     75 kWh (1992)




Industries:
     jute manufacturing, cotton textiles, food processing, steel,
     fertilizer
Agriculture:
     accounts for 33% of GDP, 65% of employment, and one-fifth of exports;
     world's largest exporter of jute; commercial products - jute, rice,
     wheat, tea, sugarcane, potatoes, beef, milk, poultry; shortages
     include wheat, vegetable oils, cotton
Illicit drugs:
     transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries
Economic aid:
recipient:
     US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.4 billion; Western
     (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89),
     $11.65 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $6.52 million; Communist
     countries (1970-89), $1.5 billion
Currency:
     1 taka (Tk) = 100 poiska
Exchange rates:
     taka (Tk) per US$1 - 40.064 (January 1994), 39.567 (1993), 38.951
     (1992), 36.596 (1991), 34.569 (1990), 32.270 (1989)
Fiscal year:
     1 July - 30 June


                              Communications


Railroads:
     2,892 km total (1986); 1,914 km 1.000 meter gauge, 978 km 1.676 meter
     broad gauge
Highways:
total:
     7,240 km
paved:
     3,840 km
unpaved:
     3,400 km (1985)
Inland waterways:
     5,150-8,046 km navigable waterways (includes 2,575-3,058 km main cargo
     routes)
Pipelines:
     natural gas 1,220 km
Ports:
     Chittagong, Chalna
Merchant marine:
     41 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 312,172 GRT/458,131 DWT, bulk 3,
     cargo 33, oil tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 3
Airports:
total:
     16
usable:
     12
with permanent-surface runways:
     12
with runways over 3,659 m:
     0




with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     4
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     6
Telecommunications:
     adequate international radio communications and landline service; poor
     domestic telephone service; 241.250 telephones - only one telephone
     for each 522 persons; fair broadcast service; broadcast stations - 9
     AM, 6 FM, 11 TV; 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth stations


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Army, Navy, Air Force
paramilitary forces:
     Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Ansars, Armed Police Reserve, Defense
     Parties, National Cadet Corps
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 31,955,948; fit for military service 18,967,602
Defense expenditures:
     exchange rate conversion - $355 million, 1.5% of GDP (FY92/93)