Facts about Bangladesh

Bangladesh is bordered by India on the north, east and west and the Bay of Bengal and Myanmar on the south. It is a low-lying country formed by the Ganga-Brahmaputra River system, which is the largest delta in the world. It is one of the poorest countries in the world and extremely prone to cyclones and floods, which are a regular occurrence in the region. About one-third of the Bangladeshi population lives in extreme poverty; while half of its population earns less than one US dollar a day.

Quick Facts about Bangladesh

• Geographical location: 24 00 N, 90 00 E; in Asia.
• Population: 144,233,000
• Capital: Dhaka
• Total Area: 147,570 sq kms, (56,977 sq miles)
• National flag: Bangladesh national flag is shiny dark green with a bright red circle in the center. The green symbolizes the villages of Bangladesh, while the red circle stands for freedom.
• Currency: Taka, 1 US dollar = 68 Takas (as of April, 2009)
• GDP per capita: US $1,800.
• Literacy: 43%
• Languages: Bengali, English and tribal dialects
• Religions: Muslims - 85%, Hindus - 14% and Buddhists - 1%
• National Days: Martyrs Day - February 21, Independence Day - March 26, Victory Day - December 16
• Major tourist attractions: The vibrant and colorful tribal life, world's longest beach Cox's Bazar, the famous Royal Bengal Tiger, old architecture, vast tea gardens and the rich riverine life and the best time to visit is from October to March.

Bangladesh through History

Bangladesh has a rich and a varied past dating back to third century BC. However, frequent floods and the damp climatic conditions have ruined most of the archaeological remains. Traces of the Megalithic culture can be found in various archaeological sites spread across the length and breadth of the country. The Mughal monarchs ruling the Indian sub-continent during the 16th and 17th centuries had a noteworthy influence on the life in Bangladesh. It was one of the first areas to come under the British rule in their ascendancy over the Indian sub-continent during the 19th century. In 1905, a division in the administrative set-up resulted in the Muslim community leaving the Indian National Congress Party and forming the All India Muslim League. Circumstances later led to the creation of two countries - India and Pakistan, after the British left the region. Present-day Bangladesh was a part of the state of Pakistan. Later on, the Bangla population revolted against the ruling establishment, and Eastern Pakistan became an independent country.

The political situation in Bangladesh was always victim to unprecedented turmoil. The first leader of independent Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated in a military coup in 1975. In 1981, President Zia was assassinated. Recently, the Bangladesh Rifles revolted against the establishment resulting in a bloody coup in March 2009. 148 people, including senior officers were killed. Despite such grave concerns the nation has maintained a strong military set-up. The Bangladesh forces consists of the army, navy and the air force. A part of the Pakistan army and navy defected to form their own force and fight for independence. They played a significant role in freeing Bangladesh in the 1971 war against Pakistan. Presently, the navy has 28,000 personnel with 5,000 officers, while the army and the air force have 250,000 and 22,000 personnel respectively. The Bangladeshi navy has ambitious security plans to protect its sea borders. The country's armed forces also play an important role as a major component of the UN peacekeeping force. The newly-elected government which came into power in February 2009, has ambitious growth plans to equip the army, navy and the air force with latest weapon systems, equipment and hardware such as the anti-aircraft and anti-ship missile systems.

Floods: An Unrelenting Menace

Bangladesh is located on the floodplain region of four big rivers: Ganga, Brahmaputra, Meghna and Wang. The first three rivers converge in Bangladesh, creating the world's largest delta region before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. As a result of the mighty river systems, a very fertile and cultivable land is available for agriculture. But the same river system accompanied by heavy monsoons wreaks havoc in the country. Bangladesh is also prone to recurring tropical cyclones. This nation has been at the receiving end of one of the world's worst, natural disaster. 300,000 to 500,000 people were killed in a cyclone in 1970. Similar series of cyclones and floods have hit the country in 1988, 1991, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2006 and most recently in 2007.

There are many physical and human causes that worsen the flood situation in Bangladesh, like -

• 70% of the land is just 1m above sea-level and every year snow-melting in the Himalayas (where the rivers originate) causes the water levels to go up.
• Bangladesh experiences heavy monsoons, specially in the hilly areas and almost 10% of its area is covered by lakes and rivers.
• Tropical storms and coastal flooding of three of its major rivers at the same time, significantly raises the water levels.
• Deforestation in Nepal and Himalayas along with urbanization of the entire region has added to the grave flood situation.
• Global warming has increased the magnitude and frequency of the floods, while an increasing population has immensely strained the land resources.

Interesting Facts at a Glance

• Mr. Muhammad Yunus and his creation the 'Grameen Bank' were the recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. The bank provides financial aid to the poor, especially women in Bangladesh. This model is a huge success and is being tried out in many places around the world.
• The national game of Bangladesh is kabaddi, national animal is tiger, national bird is Doyel (Magpie Robin) and the national flower is Shapla or water lily.
• 200 daily newspapers are published in Bangladesh with more than 1800 periodicals, but the average constant readership is only about 15%.
• Its rickshaws cover 29,000,000 km a day, which is more than twice than the total distance covered by the London Underground transport. It is the mode of transport for more than 65% of the Bangladeshi population.
• It ranks 140 out of 177 countries in the Human Development Index as of 2005.

Today, Bangladesh is growing at a much faster pace than some of the developed countries of the world. As it steps into the modern era, the unwavering spirit of its people is testimony to a bright and confident future it looks forward to.