1988 Edition

Climate

tropical; rainy season (June to November)

Coastline

97 km

Comparative area

about twice the size of Washington, D. C.

Environment

subject to hurricanes (especially June to November)

Ethnic divisions

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

80% African, 16% mixed, 4% European

Extended economic zone

200 nm

Infant mortality rate

119.4/1,000 (1984)

26.3/1,000 (1984)

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; unemployment and underemployment 40% (est.)

112,300 (1985 est); 37% services and government; 22% commerce; 22% manufacturing and construction; 9% transportation, storage, communications, and financial institutions; 8% agriculture; and 2% utilities

Land use

77% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 9% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 14% other

Language

Bangla (official), English widely used

English

Life expectancy

53.9

70.8

Literacy

23% (31% men, 16% women)

99%

Nationality

noun — Bangladeshi(s); adjective— Bangladesh

noun — Barbadian(s); adjective — Barbadian

Organized labor

32%

Population

107,087,586 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 2.70%

323,839 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 3.04%

Religion

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

70% Anglican, 9% Methodist, 4% Roman Catholic, 17% other, including Moravian

Special notes

easternmost Caribbean island

Terrain

relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region

Territorial sea

12 nm

Total area

430 km2; land area: 430 km2

Administrative divisions

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

1 1 parishes and city of Bridgetown

Branches

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

bicameral legislature (Parliament— 21-member appointed Senate and 27-member elected House of Assembly); Cabinet headed by Prime Minister

Capital

Dhaka

Bridgetown

Communists

2,500 members (est.)

negligible

Elections

some local elections held in December 1983; higher local elections held in May 1985; last parliamentary elections held in May 1986; last presidential election held in October 1986 electing President to a full five-year term Political parties and leaders: Jatiyo Party, Hussain Mohammad Ershad; 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

House of Assembly members have terms no longer than five years; last general election held 28 May 1986 Political parties and leaders: Barbados Labor Party (BLP), Henry Forde; Democratic Labor Party (DLP), Errol Barrow

Government leaders

Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD, President (since December 1983, elected in October 1986); Mizanur Rahman CHOUDHURY, Prime Minister (since July 1986)

Errol BARROW, Prime Minister (since May 1986); Sir Hugh SPRINGER, Governor General (since 1984)

Legal system

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

English common law; constitution came into effect upon independence in 1966; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Member of

ADB, Afro-Asian 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

National holiday

National Day, 26 March; Victory Day, 16 December

Independence Day, 30 November

Official name

People's Republic of Bangladesh

Barbados

Other political or pressure groups

People's Progressive Movement, Bobby Clarke; People's Pressure Movement, Eric Sealy; Workers' Party of Barbados, Dr. George Bell

Suffrage

universal over age 18

universal over age 18

Type

republic; martial law lifted 10 November 1986

independent sovereign state within the Commonwealth recognizing Elizabeth II as Chief of State

Voting strength

May 1986 parliamentary elections — Jatiya Party (progovernment) 206 seats, Awami League 80 seats, Awami League Allies 21 seats, Jamaat-E-Islami 10 seats, Independents 5 seats, Muslim League 4 seats, JSD (Socialist) 4 seats

(1981 election) BLP, 52.4%; DLP, 46.8%; independent, negligible; House of Assembly seats— BLP 24, DLP 3

Agriculture

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

Budget

(FY87) current expenditures, $1.25 billion; capital expenditures, $1.59 billion

Electric power

1,212,000 kW capacity; 4,590 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

$934 million (f.o.b., FY85); raw and manufactured jute, leather, tea

Fiscal year

1 July-30 June

Fishing

production 751,000 metric tons (1984)

GNP

$13.9 billion (FY85, current prices), $140 per capita; 4.5% real growth (FY86); 11% inflation rate (FY86)

Imports

$2.6 billion (c.i.f., FY85); foodgrains, fuels, raw cotton, fertilizer, manufactured products

Major industries

jute manufactures, food processing, and cotton textiles

Major trade partners

exports — Middle East 19%, US 18%, Japan 7%, UK 5%, Italy 4.7%; imports— US 13.7%, Western Europe 11.5%, Middle East 11%, Japan 7% (FY85)

Monetary conversion rate

30.48 takas=US$l (November 1986)

Natural resources

natural gas, uranium

Airfields

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

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

Civil air

15 major transport aircraft

Highways

7,240 km total (1985); 3,840 km paved, 3,400 km unpaved

Inland waterways

5,150-8,046 km navigable waterways (includes 2,575-3,058 km main cargo routes)

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 30 June 1987, $218 million; about 18% of central government budget North Atlantic Ocean 5km Caribbean Sea The Crane

Military manpower

males 15-49, 25,768,000; 15,327,000 fit for military service

Pipelines

650 km natural gas

Ports

2 sea (Chittagong, Chalna), 7 inland

Railroads

2,892 km total (1986); 1,914 km meter gauge, 978 km meter gauge; government owned

Telecommunications

adequate international radio communications and landline service; fair domestic wire and microwave service; fair broadcast service; 182,000 telephones (0.18 per 100 popl.); 9 AM, 6 FM, 1 1 TV stations; 2 satellite ground stations Barbados Defense Forces