1986 Edition

Agriculture

not self-sufficient in food production; produces some fruit and vegetables; engages in dairy and poultry farming and in shrimping and fishing

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

Airfields

3 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 1, 220-2,439 m

18 total, 13 usable; 14 with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 7 with runways 1, 220-2,439 m

Branches

Amir rules with help of a Cabinet led by Prime Minister; Amir dissolved the National Assembly in August 1975 and suspended the constitutional provision for election of the Assembly; independent judiciary

Army, Naval Wing, Air Wing

constitution (currently suspended) provides for unicameral legislature (Parliament), strong President; independent judiciary; President has substantial control over the judiciary

Army, Navy, Air Force; paramilitary forces — Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Ansars, Armed Police Reserve, Coastal Police

Budget

(1985) $967 million current expenditure, $556 million capital

(FY86) current expenditures, $1.2 billion; capital expenditures, $1.4 billion

Capital

Manama

Dhaka

Civil air

3 major transport aircraft

15 major transport aircraft

Coastline

580 km People

Communists

negligible

2,500 members (est.)

Elections

some local elections held in December 1983; higher local elections held in May 1985; presidential and parliamentary elections may be held in 1986 Political parties and leaders: Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Begum Ziaur Rahman; Awami League, Sheikh Hasina Wazed; 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), Mohammad Farhad; numerous small parties; political activity banned following March 1982 coup; ban lifted in March 1984, reimposed in March 1985, and lifted again in January 1986

Electric power

1,407,800 kW capacity (1985); 6. 166 billion kWh produced (1985), 14,440 kWh per capita

1,1 18,000 kW capacity (1985); 4.21 billion kWh produced (1985), 42 kWh per capita

Ethnic divisions

98% Bengali; 250,000 "Biharis" and fewer than one million tribals

Exports

$3.1 billion (f.o.b., 1984); nonoil exports $400 million (1984); oil exports $2.7 billion (1984)

$81 1 million (f.o.b., FY84); raw and manufactured jute, leather, tea

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

1 July-30 June Communications

Fishing

production 751,000 metric tons (1984)

GDP

$4.0 billion at current prices (1982 est), $10,000 per capita; real growth rate 9% (1981)

GNP

$1 1.6 billion (FY83, current prices), $130 per capita; 3.8% real growth (FY85)

Government leader

Isa bin Sulman Al KHALIFA, Amir (since November 1961)

Government leaders

Lt. Gen. Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD, President (since December 1983) and Chief Martial Law Administrator (since March 1982)

Highways

225 km bituminous surfaced; undetermined kilometers of natural surface tracks; 25 km bridge-causeway to Saudi Arabia is under construction with completion scheduled for January 1986

45,633 km total (1985); 4,076 km paved, 2,693 km gravel, 38,864 km earth

Imports

$3.5 billion (c.i.f., 1984); nonoil imports $1.9 billion (1984); oil imports $1.6 billion (1984)

$2.3 billion (c.i.f., FY84); foodgrains, fuels, raw cotton, fertilizer, manufactured products

Infant mortality rate

119.4/1,000(1984)

Inland waterways

7,000 km; river steamers navigate main waterways

Labor force

35. 1 million (FY86); extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, and Kuwait; 74% of labor force is in agriculture, 15% services, 11% industry and commerce (FY81/82); unemployment and underemployment 40% (est.) Government

Land boundaries

2,535 km Water

Language

Bangla (official), English widely used

Legal system

based on Islamic law and English common law; constitution went into effect in December 1973

martial law currently prevails and civilian legal system suspended; traditionally based on English common law; constitution adopted December 1972, amended January 1975 to more authoritarian presidential system, and changed by proclamation in April 1977 to reflect Islamic character of nation; further change, by proclamation in December 1978, provided for the appointment of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, and other Cabinet-rank ministers and defined the powers of the President

Life expectancy

53

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

12 nm (200 nm exclusive economic zone)

Literacy

29%

Major industries

petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking, ship repairing

jute manufactures, food processing, and cotton textiles

Major trade partners

Japan, UK, US, Saudi Arabia

exports — Middle East 29%, US 13%, Italy 8.6%, Japan 7.5%; imports— Middle East 17%, Western Europe 12%, Japan 1 1%, US 11% (FY84)

Member of

Arab League, FAO, G-77, GATT(de facto), GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDE — Islamic Development Bank, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO Economy

ADB, AfroAsian People's Solidarity Organization, Colombo Plan, Commonwealth, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDE— Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IRC, ITU, NAM, QIC, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WFTU, WMO, WTO Economy

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 30 June 1986, $285 million; about 15% of central government budget

Military manpower

males 15-49, 125,000; 73,000 fit for military service

males 15-49, 24,622,000; 15,144,000 fit for military ser-

Monetary conversion rate

0.38 Bahrain dinar=US$l (October 1985)

32. 15 takas=US$l (October 1985)

National holiday

16 December

National Day, 26 March; Victory Day, 16 December

Nationality

noun — Bangladeshi(s); adjective— Bangladesh

Natural resources

oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish

natural gas, uranium

Official name

People's Republic of

Pipelines

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

650 km natural gas

Political subdivisions

4 divisions, 21 regions, 64 districts, 495 thanas (rural townships consisting of 4,472 unions or village groupings)

Population

104,205,000 (July 1986), average annual growth rate 2.7%

Ports

1 major (Mlna' Sulman), 1 minor (Mina' al Manamah), 1 petroleum, oil, and lubricant terminal (Sitrah)

2 sea (Chittagong, Chalna), 7 inland

Railroads

none

4,085 km total (1985); 1,912 km 1.000-meter gauge, 978 km 1.676-meter broad gauge; government owned

Religion

83% Muslim, about 16% Hindu, less than 1% Buddhist, Christian, and other

Suffrage

none Political parties and pressure groups: political parties prohibited; several small, clandestine leftist and Shi'a fundamentalist groups are active

universal over age 18

Supply

from several West European countries, especially France and UK Bey of Bengal Set regional map VIII Land 143,998 km2; slightly smaller than Wisconsin; 66% arable (including cultivated and fallow), 18% uncultivated (not available), 16% forest

Telecommunications

excellent international telecommunications; adequate domestic services; 98,000 telephones (25.4 per 100 popl.); 2 AM, 1 FM, and 2 TV stations; 1 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean, and 1 Arab satellite station; tropospheric scatter and microwave to Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Qatar and United Arab Emirates Defense Forces

adequate international radio communications 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, 8 TV stations, and 1 ground satellite station Defense Forces

Type

republic; under martial law since 24 March 1982