2010 Edition

Background

Europeans began to set up trading posts in the area of Bangladesh in the 16th century; eventually the British came to dominate the region and it became part of British India. In 1947, West Pakistan and East Bengal (both primarily Muslim) separated from India (largely Hindu) and jointly became the new country of Pakistan. East Bengal became East Pakistan in 1955, but the awkward arrangement of a two-part country with its territorial units separated by 1,600 km left the Bengalis marginalized and dissatisfied. East Pakistan seceded from its union with West Pakistan in 1971 and was renamed Bangladesh. A military-backed, emergency caretaker regime suspended parliamentary elections planned for January 2007 in an effort to reform the political system and root out corruption. In contrast to the strikes and violent street rallies that had marked Bangladeshi politics in previous years, the parliamentary elections finally held in late December 2008 were mostly peaceful and Sheikh HASINA Wajed was elected prime minister. About a third of this extremely poor country floods annually during the monsoon rainy season, hampering economic development.

Area

land

130,168 sq km

total

143,998 sq km

water

13,830 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Iowa

Climate

tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)

Coastline

580 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Keokradong 1,230 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; waterborne diseases prevalent in surface water; water pollution, especially of fishing areas, results from the use of commercial pesticides; ground water contaminated by naturally occurring arsenic; intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation and erosion; deforestation; severe overpopulation

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

560 cu m/yr (2000)

total

79.4 cu km/yr (3%/1%/96%)

Geographic coordinates

24 00 N, 90 00 E

Geography - note

most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing

from the Himalayas

the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal

Irrigated land

47,250 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries

Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km

total

4,246 km

Land use

arable land

55.39%

other

41.53% (2005)

permanent crops

3.08%

Location

Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

18 nm

continental shelf

up to the outer limits of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

droughts; cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during the summer monsoon season

Natural resources

natural gas, arable land, timber, coal

Terrain

mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast

Total renewable water resources

1,210.6 cu km (1999)

Age structure

0-14 years: 34.6% (male 27,065,625/female 26,913,961) 15-64 years: 61.4% (male 45,222,182/female 50,537,052) 65 years and over: 4% (male 3,057,255/female 3,254,808) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

23.43 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

5.81 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

2.4% of GDP (2008)

Ethnic groups

Bengali 98%, other 2% (includes tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims) (1998)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 500 (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

12,000 (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

49.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

55.04 deaths/1,000 live births

total

52.54 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English

Life expectancy at birth

female

71.3 years (2010 est.)

male

67.64 years

total population

69.44 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

41.4% (2001 Census)

male

54%

total population

47.9%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact disease

rabies note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)

degree of risk

high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever and malaria are high risks in some locations

water contact disease

leptospirosis

Median age

female

23.4 years (2010 est.)

male

22.4 years

total

22.9 years

Nationality

adjective

Bangladeshi

noun

Bangladeshi(s)

Net migration rate

-2.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Population

156,118,464 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

1.55% (2010 est.)

Religions

Muslim 89.5%, Hindu 9.6%, other 0.9% (2004)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

8 years (2007)

male

8 years

total

8 years

Sex ratio

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female

total population

0.93 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.65 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

27% of total population (2008)

Administrative divisions

7 divisions; Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Sylhet

Capital

geographic coordinates

23 43 N, 90 24 E

name

Dhaka

time difference

UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

4 November 1972; effective 16 December 1972; suspended following coup of 24 March 1982; restored 10 November 1986; amended many times

Country name

conventional long form

People's Republic of Bangladesh

conventional short form

Bangladesh

former

East Bengal, East Pakistan

local long form

Gana Prajatantri Bangladesh local short form:

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador James F. MORIARTY

embassy

Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212

FAX

[880] (2) 882-3744

mailing address

G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000

telephone

[880] (2) 885-5500

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Akramul QADER

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles, New York

FAX

[1] (202) 244-7830/2771

telephone

[1] (202) 244-0183

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet selected by the prime minister and appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

President Zillur RAHMAN (since 12 February 2009)

election results

Zillur RAHMAN declared president-elect by the Election Commission on 11 February 2009 (sworn in on 12 February); he ran unopposed as president; percent of National Parliament vote - NA

elections

president elected by National Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); last election held on 11 February 2009 (next to be held in 2014)

head of government

Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA Wajed (since 6 January 2009)

Flag description

green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to the hoist side of center; the red disk represents the rising sun and the sacrifice to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lush vegetation of Bangladesh

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

16 December 1971 (from West Pakistan); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is known as Victory Day and commemorates the official creation of the state of Bangladesh

International organization participation

ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CICA (observer), CP, D-8, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (the chief justices and other judges are appointed by the president)

Legal system

based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300 seats elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies; members serve five-year terms

election results

percent of vote by party - AL 49%, BNP 33.2%, JP 7%, JIB 4.6%, other 6.2%; seats by party - AL 230, BNP 30, JP 27, JIB 2, other 11

elections

last held on 29 December 2008 (next to be held in 2013)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Rabindranath TAGORE note: adopted 1971; Rabindranath TAGORE, a Nobel laureate, also wrote India's national anthem

name

"Amar Shonar Bangla" (My Golden Bengal)

National holiday

Independence Day, 26 March (1971); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is Victory Day and commemorates the official creation of the state of Bangladesh

Political parties and leaders

Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]; Bangladesh Communist Party or BCP [Manjurul A. KHAN]; Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Khaleda ZIA]; Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh or BDB [Badrudozza CHOWDHURY]; Islami Oikya Jote or IOJ [multiple leaders]; Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh or JIB [Matiur Rahman NIZAMI]; Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Oli AHMED]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Advocacy to End Gender-based Violence through the MoWCA (Ministry of Women's and Children's Affairs)

other

environmentalists; Islamist groups; religious leaders; teachers; union leaders

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry

Central bank discount rate

5% (31 October 2010) 5% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

14.6% (31 December 2009 est.) 16.38% (31 December 2008 est.)

Current account balance

$3.734 billion (2010) $2.416 billion (2009)

Debt - external

$24.46 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $24.22 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

33.2 (2005) 33.6 (1996)

Economy - overview

The economy has grown 5-6% per year since 1996 despite political instability, poor infrastructure, corruption, insufficient power supplies, and slow implementation of economic reforms. Bangladesh remains a poor, overpopulated, and inefficiently-governed nation. Although more than half of GDP is generated through the service sector, 45% of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector, with rice as the single-most-important product. Bangladesh's growth was resilient during the 2008-09 global financial crisis and recession. Garment exports, totaling $12.3 billion in FY09 and remittances from overseas Bangladeshis totaling $9.7 billion in FY09 accounted for almost 25% of GDP.

Electricity - consumption

23.94 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production

25.62 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Exchange rates

taka (BDT) per US dollar - 70.59 (2010), 69.039 (2009), 68.554 (2008), 69.893 (2007), 69.031 (2006)

Exports

$16.24 billion (2010) $15.58 billion (2009)

Exports - commodities

garments, frozen fish and seafood, jute and jute goods, leather

Exports - partners

US 22.5%, Germany 14.2%, UK 9.6%, France 7%, Netherlands 6.4% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

18.4%

industry

28.7%

services

52.9% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,700 (2010 est.) $1,600 (2009 est.) $1,500 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

6% (2010 est.) 5.7% (2009 est.) 6% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$105.4 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$259.3 billion (2010 est.) $244.6 billion (2009 est.) $231.4 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 8.8% highest 10%: 26.6% (2008 est.)

Imports

$21.34 billion (2010) $20.3 billion (2009)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs, petroleum products, cement

Imports - partners

China 16.16%, India 12.61%, Singapore 7.55%, Japan 4.63%, Malaysia 4.46% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

6.4% (2010 est.)

Industries

cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper newsprint, cement, chemical fertilizer, light engineering, sugar

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8.1% (2010 est.) 5.4% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

23.8% of GDP (2010 est.)

Labor force

73.87 million note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia; workers' remittances estimated at $10.9 billion in 2009-10 (2010 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

45%

industry

30%

services

25% (2008)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$7.068 billion (31 December 2009) $6.671 billion (31 December 2008) $6.793 billion (31 December 2007)

Natural gas - consumption

19.7 billion cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - production

19.7 billion cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

195.4 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

96,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

2,612 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - imports

87,660 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

5,733 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

28 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

36.3% (2008 est.)

Public debt

39.3% of GDP (2010 est.) 39.7% of GDP (2009 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$10.79 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $10.34 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$57.21 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $63.03 billion (31 December 2009)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$82 million (31 December 2010 est.) $81 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$6.72 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $5.617 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$62.2 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $53.77 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$13.98 billion (31 December 2010 est) $10.92 billion (31 December 2009 est)

Unemployment rate

5.1% (2010 est.) 5.1% (2009 est.) note: about 40% of the population is underemployed; many participants in the labor force work only a few hours a week, at low wages

Broadcast media

state-owned broadcaster (BTV) operates 1 terrestrial TV station, 3 radio networks, and about 10 local stations; 8 private satellite TV stations and 3 private radio stations also broadcasting; foreign satellite TV stations are gaining audience share in the large cities; several international radio broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet country code

.bd

Internet hosts

68,224 (2010)

Internet users

617,300 (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

fixed-line teledensity remains only about 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has been increasing rapidly and now exceeds 30 telephones per 100 persons

general assessment

inadequate for a modern country; introducing digital systems; trunk systems include VHF and UHF microwave radio relay links, and some fiber-optic cable in cities

international

country code - 880; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-4 fiber-optic submarine cable system that provides links to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 6; international radiotelephone communications and landline service to neighboring countries (2009)

Telephones - main lines in use

1.522 million (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

50.4 million (2009)

Airports

17 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

15 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 4 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2010)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 16, cargo 25, container 5, petroleum tanker 4

foreign-owned

4 (China 1, Singapore 3)

registered in other countries

9 (Comoros 1, Malta 1, Panama 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 2) (2010)

total

50

Pipelines

gas 2,597 km (2009)

Ports and terminals

Chittagong, Mongla Port

Railways

broad gauge

946 km 1.676-m gauge

narrow gauge

1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)

total

2,768 km

Roadways

paved

22,726 km

total

239,226 km

unpaved

216,500 km (2003)

Transportation - note

the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial waters of Bangladesh as high risk for armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked both at anchor and while underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen

Waterways

8,370 km note: includes up to 3,060 km main cargo routes; network reduced to 5,200 km in dry season (2007)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 36,560,110 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 25,310,750 females age 16-49: 32,154,153 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

1,676,137 (2010 est.)

male

1,550,385

Military branches

Bangladesh Defense Force

Bangladesh Army (Sena Bahini), Bangladesh Navy (Noh Bahini, BN), Bangladesh Air Force (Biman Bahini, BAF) (2010)

Military expenditures

1.3% of GDP (2009)

Military service age and obligation

16 years of age for voluntary enlisted military service (Air Force); 17 years of age (Army and Navy); conscription is by law possible in times of emergency, but has never been implemented (2010)

Disputes - international

discussions with India remain stalled to delimit a small section of river boundary, exchange territory for 51 small Bangladeshi exclaves in India and 111 small Indian exclaves in Bangladesh, allocate divided villages, and stop illegal cross-border trade, migration, violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous border; Bangladesh protests India's fencing and walling off high-traffic sections of the porous boundary; a joint Bangladesh-India boundary commission resurveyed and reconstructed 92 missing pillars in 2007; after 21 years, Bangladesh in January 2008 resumed talks with Burma on delimiting a maritime boundary

Illicit drugs

transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries page last updated on January 20, 2011 ======================================================================

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

65,000 (land conflicts, religious persecution) (2007)

refugees (country of origin)

26,268 (Burma)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Bangladesh is a source and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; a significant share of Bangladesh's trafficking victims are men recruited for work overseas with fraudulent employment offers who are subsequently exploited under conditions of forced labor or debt bondage; children are trafficked within Bangladesh for commercial sexual exploitation, bonded labor, and forced labor; women and children from Bangladesh are also trafficked to India and Pakistan for sexual exploitation

tier rating

Bangladesh is placed on Tier 2 Watch List because it does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so, including some progress in addressing sex trafficking; the government did not demonstrate sufficient progress in criminally prosecuting and convicting labor trafficking offenders, particularly those responsible for the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers for the purpose of labor trafficking (2009)