Bangladesh
Bangladesh (বাংলাদেশ), the People's Republic of Bangladesh (গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশ) emerged as an independent and sovereign country in 1971 following a nine month war of liberation under the great leadership of Father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman . It is one of the densely populated countries of the world. The majority (about 88%) of the people are Muslim. Over 98% of the people speak in Bangla. English, however is widely spoken. There is an elected single-house Parliament in Bangladesh, known as the House of the Nation (Bangladesh Jatiya Sangshad), in which the legislative power of the Republic is vested. The Speaker presides over the Parliament. The Prime Minister is the leader of the House, who is also the Head of the Government, while the President is the Head of the State.The people of Bangladesh are very simple and friendly. Sound communal harmony among the different religions in this country has ensured a very congenial atmosphere. More than 75% of the population live in rural areas. Urbanization has, however, been rapid in the last few decades.
Bangladesh has an
agrarian economy, although the share of agriculture to GDP has been decreasing
over the last few years. Yet it dominates the economy accommodating major rural
labour force. From marketing point of view, Bangladesh has been following a mixed
economy that operates on free market principles. The present growth rate of GDP
in Bangladesh is 6.66% and per capita income is US$ 818. The standard time of
the country is GMT +6 hrs. Being and active partner, Bangladesh plays vital
role in the international and regional forum, particularly in the UN,
Commonwealth and South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
Bangladesh at a glance
OFFICIAL NAME |
The People's Republic of Bangladesh |
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION |
It lies between 20° 34' and 26° 38' North Latitude and 88° 01' and 92° 41' East Longitude |
BOUNDARY |
On three sides- East, North and West-India. South-East Myanmar. South-Bay of Bengal |
AREA |
147,570 sq km |
POPULATION |
Approximately 150 million |
ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS |
Country is divided into seven Administrative Divisions. These are Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Barisal, Sylhet and Rangpur. Each Division is divided into districts |
TOTAL DISTRICTS |
64 |
CAPITAL |
Dhaka |
OTHER MAJOR CITIES |
Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet & Barisal |
GOVERNMENT |
Parliamentary form of government. The President is Head of the state, while the government is headed by the Prime Minister |
BUSINESS HOURS |
The official working hours in Bangladesh are from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm from Sunday to Thursday. Friday and Saturday are weekly holidays |
BEST TOURIST SEASON |
October - March |
PLACES OF TOURIST INTEREST |
Dhaka, Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Kaptai, Rangamati, Khagrachari, Bandarban, Kuakata, Bogra, Khulna, the Sundarbans, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Dinajpur and Comilla |
LANGUAGE |
Bangla-Official Language, English-Second language and widely spoken |
LABOUR FORCE |
54 million Male: 40 million Female: 14 million (Ref: BES-2011) |
SECTORAL DISTRIBUTION OF LABOUR FORCE |
Agriculture: 48.4 percent Industry: 24.3 percent Others: 27.3percent (Ref: BES-2011) |
RELIGION |
4 major religions: Islam, Hinduism, Christianity & Buddhism |
PRINCIPAL EXPORTS |
Ready made garments, Knitwear, Jute and Jute goods, Shrimps, Leather and Leather goods, Tea, Handicrafts, Agricultural products, Ceramic, Pharmaceuticals, Light Engineering Products, etc |
PRINCIPAL IMPORTS |
Petroleum & Lubricants, Chemicals, Cement, Capital Machinery, Machinery parts, Tinned and Bagged Milk powder, Edible oil, Automobiles, electronics etc. |
PRINCIPAL INDUSTRIES |
Jute, Textile, Leather, Garments, Chemical, Fertilizer, Shrimp Processing, Sugar, Cement, Paper, Pharma, Engineering etc |
PRINCIPAL MINERAL |
Natural gas,oil, Coal, white clay, glass sand etc. |
AIRPORTS |
Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Jessore, Rajshahi, Saidpur, Barisal and Cox's Bazar |
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