Shafiqul Islam Jibon: Bangladesh is one of the beautiful country on the planet. The people of Bangladesh are always friendly, welcoming and hospitable to everyone. However, it
is one of the world’s most densely populated countries, with its people crammed into a delta of rivers that empties into the Bay of Bengal.
Poverty is deep and widespread, but Bangladesh has in recent years reduced population growth and improved health and education and many more in it’s social and economic indicators.
Formerly East Pakistan, Bangladesh came into being only in 1971, when the two parts of Pakistan split after a bitter war which drew in neighbouring India.
Bangladesh spent 15 years under military rule and, although democracy was restored in 1990, the political scene remains volatile.
Islamist extremism has been rising in the usually tolerant country.
The low-lying country is vulnerable to flooding and cyclones, and stands to be badly affected by any rises in sea levels.
The official name of the country:
People’s Republic of Bangladesh
Capital: Dhaka
- Population 162 million
- Area 143,998 sq km (55,598 sq miles)
- Major language Bengali
- Major religion Islam, Hinduism
- Life expectancy 69 years (men), 70 years (women)
- Currency taka
Some key dates in the history of Bangladesh:
1947 – British colonial rule over India ends. A largely Muslim state comprising East and West Pakistan is established, either side of India. The two provinces are separated from each other by more than 1,500 km of Indian territory.
1971 – Independence after a nine-month war, with India backing the Bengali nationalists against Pakistan.
1973 – First parliamentary elections give the Awami League a landslide victory.
1975 – A military coup sees founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members killed, putting an end to civilian rule.
1979 – Second parliamentary elections brings former army chief Ziaur Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to power.
1981 – Ziaur Rahman assassinated during abortive military coup.
1982 – General Ershad assumes power in army coup. He suspends the constitution and political parties.
1991 – The country returns to a parliamentary system of government.
According to Bangladesh-Wikipedia:
Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It shares land borders with India and Myanmar (Burma). Nepal, Bhutan and China are located near Bangladesh but do not share a border with it. The country’s maritime territory in the Bay of Bengal is roughly equal to the size of its land area.[13] Bangladesh is the world’s eighth most populous country. Dhaka is its capital and largest city, followed by Chittagong, which has the country’s largest port.
Bangladesh forms the largest and easternmost part of the Bengal region.[14] Bangladeshis include people from a range of ethnic groups and religions. Bengalis, who speak the official Bengali language, make up 98% of the population.[2][3] The politically dominant Bengali Muslims make the nation the world’s third largest Muslim-majority country.
Most of Bangladesh is covered by the Bengal delta, the largest delta on Earth. The country has 700 rivers and 8,046 km (5,000 miles) of inland waterways. Highlands with evergreen forests are found in the northeastern and southeastern regions of the country. Bangladesh has many islands and a coral reef. The longest unbroken sea beach, Cox’s Bazar Beach is located here. It is home to the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world. The country’s biodiversityincludes a vast array of plant and wildlife, including endangered Bengal tigers, the national animal.
The Greeks and Romans identified the region as Gangaridai, a powerful kingdom of the historical subcontinent, in the 3rd century BCE. Archaeological research has unearthed several ancient cities in Bangladesh, which enjoyed international trade links for millennia.[15] The Bengal Sultanate and Mughal Bengal transformed the region into a cosmopolitan Islamicimperial power between the 14th and 18th centuries. The region was home to many principalities that made use of their inland naval prowess.[16][17] It was also a notable center of the global muslin and silk trade. As part of British India, the region was influenced by the Bengali renaissance and played an important role in anti-colonial movements. The Partition of British India made East Bengal a part of the Dominion of Pakistan; and renamed it as East Pakistan. The region witnessed the Bengali Language Movement in 1952 and the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.[18] After independence was achieved, a parliamentary republic was established. A presidential government was in place between 1975 and 1990, followed by a return to parliamentary democracy. The country continues to face challenges in the areas of poverty, education, healthcare and corruption.
Bangladesh is a middle power and a developing nation. Listed as one of the Next Eleven, its economy ranks 46th in terms of nominal gross domestic product (GDP) and 29th in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP). It is one of the largest textile exporters in the world. Its major trading partners are the European Union, the United States, China, India, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore. With its strategically vital location between Southern, Eastern and Southeast Asia, Bangladesh is an important promoter of regional connectivity and cooperation. It is a founding member of SAARC, BIMSTEC, the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Forum for Regional Cooperation and the Bangladesh Bhutan India Nepal Initiative. It is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the Developing 8 Countries, the OIC, the Non Aligned Movement, the Group of 77 and the World Trade Organization. Bangladesh is one of the largest contributors to United Nations peacekeeping forces. To read more details, please click here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladesh