Bangladesh

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces (includes Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Ansars, Armed Police Reserve, Village Defense Parties, National Cadet Corps)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $481 million, 1.7% of GDP (FY95/96)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49: 31,795,848 males fit for military service: 18,814,818 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 9, FM 6, shortwave 0

Radios

NA

Telephone system

domestic: poor domestic telephone service international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); international radiotelephone communications and landline service to neighboring countries

Telephones

249,800 (1994 est.)

Television broadcast stations

11

Televisions

350,000 (1993 est.) Defense

Agriculture

jute, rice, wheat, tea, sugarcane, potatoes; beef, milk, poultry

Budget

revenues: $2.8 billion expenditures: $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (FY92/93)

Currency

1 taka (Tk) = 100 poiska

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $1.099 billion (1993)

Economic overview

Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains one of the world's poorest, most densely populated, and least developed nations. Annual GDP growth has averaged over 4% in recent years from a low base. Its economy is overwhelmingly agricultural, with the cultivation of rice the single most important activity in the economy. Major impediments to growth include frequent cyclones and floods, the inefficiency of state-owned enterprises, a rapidly growing labor force that cannot be absorbed by agriculture, delays in exploiting energy resources (natural gas), inadequate power supplies, and, most recently, political disturbances. In 1995, progress on Bangladesh's development agenda has been slowed by frequent political unrest before and after national elections in early 1996. Opposition parties have challenged the government's authority by resigning from Parliament and sponsoring numerous countrywide strikes that have crippled transport, hindered business activity, and threatened to slow economic growth in 1996.

Electricity

capacity: 2,740,000 kW production: 9.2 billion kWh consumption per capita: 70 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

taka (Tk) per US$1 - 40.933 (January 19965), 40.278 (1995), 40.212 (1994), 39.567 (1993), 38.951 (1992), 36.596 (1991)

Exports

$2.7 billion (1995 est.) commodities: garments, jute and jute goods, leather, shrimp partners: US 33%, Western Europe 39% (Germany 8.4%, Italy 6%) (FY91/92 est.)

External debt

$15.7 billion (1995 est.)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $144.5 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

GDP per capita

$1,130 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

4.6% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries

Imports

$4.7 billion (1995 est.) commodities: capital goods, petroleum, food, textiles partners: Hong Kong 7.5%, Singapore 7.4%, China 7.4%, Japan 7.1% (FY91/92 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

8.5% (1995 est.)

Industries

jute manufacturing, cotton textiles, food processing, steel, fertilizer

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.5% (1995 est.)

Labor force

50.1 million by occupation: agriculture 65%, services 21%, industry and mining 14% (1989) note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman (1991)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

total area: 144,000 sq km land area: 133,910 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Wisconsin

Climate

tropical; cool, dry winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); cool, rainy monsoon (June to October)

Coastline

580 km

Environment

current issues: many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; limited access to potable water; water-borne diseases prevalent; water pollution especially of fishing areas results from the use of commercial pesticides; intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation; deforestation; severe overpopulation natural hazards: droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely flooded during the summer monsoon season international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates

24 00 N, 90 00 E

International disputes

a portion of the boundary with India in dispute; water-sharing problems with upstream riparian India over the Ganges

Irrigated land

27,380 sq km (1989)

Land boundaries

total: 4,246 km border countries: Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km

Land use

arable land: 67% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 4% forest and woodland: 16% other: 11%

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 resources

natural gas, arable land, timber

Terrain

mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Reng Tlang 957 m

Administrative divisions

4 divisions; Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi note: there may be two new divisions named Barisal and Sylhet

Capital

Dhaka

Constitution

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

Data code

BG

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Humayun KABIR chancery: 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 342-8372 through 8376 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President Abdur Rahman BISWAS (since 8 October 1991) was elected for a five-year term by National Parliament; election last held 8 October 1991 (next to be held by NA October 1996); results - Abdur Rahman BISWAS received 52.1% of parliamentary vote head of government: Caretaker Prime Minister Muhammad Habibur RAHMAN (since 31 March 1996) was appointed by the president (see note under Legislative branch entry) cabinet: Advisory Council was appointed by the president on 3 April 1996

FAX

[880] (2) 883-744

Flag

green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side of center; green is the traditional color of Islam

Independence

16 December 1971 (from Pakistan)

International organization participation

AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNAMIR, UNAVEM III, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIH, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, the Chief Justices and other judges are appointed by the president

Legal system

based on English common law

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh conventional short form: Bangladesh former: East Pakistan

National Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad)

elections last held 15 February 1996 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (330 total, 300 elected and 30 seats reserved for women) seats by party NA; note - the election was held despite the fact that it was boycotted by the major opposition parties; Prime Minister Khaleda ZIAur RAHMAN's party won a landslide victory, but, under continuing pressure from the opposition, who called for an annulment of the results, National Parliament passed a bill that established a caretaker government to oversee new elections on a date yet to be determined; President BISWAS then dissolved Parliament and named a caretaker prime minister to replace Prime Minister ZIAur RAHMAN

National holiday

Independence Day, 26 March (1971)

Political parties and leaders

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Khaleda ZIAur RAHMAN; Awami League (AL), Sheikh Hasina WAJED; Jatiyo Party (JP), Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD (in jail); Jamaat-E-Islami (JI), Motiur Rahman NIZAMI; Bangladesh Communist Party (BCP), Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK; National Awami Party (Muzaffar); Workers Party, Rashid Khan MENON; Jatiyo Samajtantik Dal (JSD), Serajul ALAM KHAN; Ganotantri Party, leader NA; Islami Oikya Jote, leader NA; National Democratic Party (NDP), leader NA; Muslim League, Khan A. SABUR; Democratic League, Khondakar MUSHTAQUE Ahmed; United People's Party, Kazi ZAFAR Ahmed

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador David N. MERRILL embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka mailing address: G.P.O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000; Dhaka 1212 telephone: [880] (2) 884700 through 884722

Age structure

0-14 years: 39% (male 24,434,219; female 23,436,359) 15-64 years: 58% (male 36,607,942; female 34,603,628) 65 years and over: 3% (male 2,175,017; female 1,805,635) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

30.5 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

11.21 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Bengali 98%, Biharis 250,000, tribals less than 1 million

Infant mortality rate

102.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Bangla (official), English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 55.86 years male: 56.02 years female: 55.69 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 38.1% male: 49.4% female: 26.1%

Nationality

noun: Bangladeshi(s) adjective: Bangladesh

Net migration rate

-0.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

123,062,800 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

1.85% (1996 est.)

Religions

Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, Buddhist, Christian, other

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.2 male(s)/female all ages: 1.06 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.57 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 15 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 2 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 2 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 4 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 6 (1995 est.)

Highways

total: 13,627 km paved: 8,546 km unpaved: 5,081 km (1992)

Merchant marine

total: 37 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 296,503 GRT/423,274 DWT ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 29, oil tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 3 (1995 est.)

Pipelines

natural gas 1,220 km

Ports

Chittagong, Dhaka, Chalna Port (Mongla)

Railways

total: 2,892 km broad gauge: 978 km 1.676-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,914 km 1.000-m gauge (1992)

Waterways

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