1981 Edition

Area

142,500 km2; 66% arable (including cultivated and fallow), 18% not available for cultivation, 16% forested

Coastline

580 km

Communists

negligible

Land boundaries

2,535 km

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

12 nm (economic including fishing 200 nm)

Member of

Arab League, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ILO, IMCO, IMF, ISCON, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Ethnic divisions

predominantly Bengali; fewer than one million "Biharis" and fewer than one million tribals

Labor force

30.7 million; extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, and Kuwait; 80% of labor force is in agriculture, 15% services, 11% industry (FY79)

Language

Bengali

Literacy

24.3% (1979-80)

Nationality

noun — Bangladeshi(s); adjective — Bangladesh

Population

93,040,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 2.6%

Religion

85% Muslim, about 12% Hindu, less than 1% Buddhist, Christian, or other

Branches

constitution provides for unicameral legislature, strong President; independent judiciary; President has substantial control over the judiciary

Capital

Dacca BANGLADESH (Continued)

Communists

2,500 members (est.)

Elections

Second Parliament (House of the Nation) elected in February 1979; elections every five years; most recent presidential election November 1981 Political parties and leaders: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (formed September 1978), Abdus Sattar; Awami League, Sheikh Hasina Wajed; United People's Party, Kazi Zafar Ahmed; Democratic League, Khondakar Mushtaque Ahmed; Muslim League, Khan A. Sabur; Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (National Socialist Party), M. A. Jalil; Bangladesh Communist Party (pro-Soviet), Manindra Moni Singh; numerous small parties; political activity banned following March 1982 coup

Government leader

President Abdus Sattar replaced by martial law administrator Lt. Gen. H. M. ERSHAD in March 1982 coup

Legal system

based on English common law; constitution adopted December 1972; amended January 1975 to more authoritarian presidential system, changed by proclamation in April 1977 to reflect Islamic character of nation; further change, by proclamation in December 1978, to provide for the appointments of the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, as well as other ministers of Cabinet rank, and to further define the powers of the President

Member of

ADB, Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organization, Colombo Plan, Commonwealth, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMCO, ISCON, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO

National holiday

Independence Day, 26 March

Official name

People's Republic of Bangladesh

Political subdivisions

19 districts, 413 thanas (counties), 4,365 unions (village groupings)

Suffrage

universal over age 18

Type

independent republic since December 1971; Government of President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman overthrown in August 1975; two other coups followed; after four years of martial law rule, presidential elections were held in June 1978 and a new parliament was elected in February 1979; President Ziaur Rahman assassinated in failed military coup on 30 May 1981; former Vice President Justice Abdus Sattar became President in election on 15 November 1981; martial law imposed 24 March 1982; government dissolved

Agriculture

produces dates, alfalfa, vegetables; dairy and poultry farming; fishing; not self-sufficient in food

large subsistence farming, heavily dependent on monsoon rainfall; main crops are jute and rice; shortages— grain, cotton, and oilseed

Budget

(1980) $488 million current expenditure, $302 million capital

(FY81) domestic revenue, $2,379 million; expenditures, $2,203 million

Electric power

900,000 kW capacity (1980); 4.0 billion kWh produced (1980), 10,204 kWh per capita

1,302,000 kW capacity (1980); 1.750 billion kWh produced (1980), 20 kWh per capita

Exports

$3.8 billion (f.o.b., 1980); nonoil exports (including reexports), $550.8 million (1980); oil exports, $3.3 billion (1980)

$759 million (f.o.b. 1980); raw and manufactured jute, leather, tea

Fiscal year

calendar year

1 July-30 June

Fishing

catch 835,000 metric tons (FY78)

GDP

$1.8 billion (1980 est.), $4,600 per capita; annual real growth rate (1973-77) 11%, dominated by oil industry; 1980 average daily crude oil production, 48,000 b/d (oil expected to last 15 years if no new discoveries are made); 1980 natural gas production, 177 billion ft3; government oil revenues for 1978 are estimated at $845 million

GNP

$9.1 billion est. (FY79, current prices), $100 per capita; real growth, 4.4% (FY79)

Imports

$3.6 billion (c.i.f., 1980); nonoil imports $1.6 billion (1980); oil imports $2.0 billion (1980)

$2,348 million (f.o.b. 1980); foodgrains, fuels, raw cotton, fertilizer, manufactured products

Major industries

petroleum refining, aluminum smelting, ship repairing, shrimp fishing, pearls and sailmaking on a small scale; major development projects include flourmill, and ISA town; OAPEC dry dock opened in 1977

jute manufactures, food processing and cotton textiles

Major trade partners

Saudi Arabia, UK, US, Japan, EC

exports — US 14%, USSR 8%; imports—US 19%, Japan 12% (FY79)

Monetary conversion rate

1 Bahrain dinar=US$2.65 (1980)

16 taka=US$l (June 1981)

Airfields

2 total, 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runway; 1 with runways over 3,660 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

23 total, 15 usable; 17 with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

2 major transport aircraft

9 major transport aircraft

Highways

93 km bituminous surfaced; undetermined mileage of natural surface tracks

45,633 km total; 4,076 km paved, 2,693 km gravel, 38,864 km earth

Inland waterways

7,000 km; river steamers navigate main waterways

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 31 December 1979, $87.8 million; 11% of central government budget

for fiscal year ending 30 June 1982, $1.7 billion; about 10.8% of central government budget

Military manpower

males 15-49, 106,000; 61,000 fit for military service

males 15-49, 21,456,000; 11,190,000 fit for military service

Pipelines

crude oil, 56 km; refined products, 16 km; natural gas, 32 km

854 km natural gas

Ports

1 major (Bahrain)

1 major (Chittagong), 2 minor

Railroads

4,085 km total (1980); 2,198 km meter gauge (1.000 m),l,852 km broad gauge (1.676 m), 35 km narrow gauge (0.762 m), 300 km double track; government owned

Supply

from several West European countries, especially France and UK

Telecommunications

excellent international telecommunications; limited domestic services; 38,300 telephones (14.2 per 100 popl.); 2 AM stations, 1 FM station, and 1 TV station; 1 Indian Ocean satellite station; tropospheric scatter and microwave to Qatar and United Arab Emirates DEFENSE FORCES

adequate international radiocommunications and landline service; fair domestic wire and microwave service; fair broadcast service; 100,000 (est.) telephones (0.1 per 100 popl.); 9 AM, 6 FM, 7 TV stations, and 1 ground satellite station DEFENSE FORCES