History
Bangladesh emerged as an independent
nation in 1971 before which it was a province of Pakistan
and was known as East Pakistan. After the
fall of Nawab Sirajuddowla in the Battle of Plassey on 23
June 1757, this part of the Indian
Subcontinent was ruled by the British from 1757 to 1947. In 1947,
the British colonial rule ended, and the
Indian Subcontinent was divided into two independent nations–India
and Pakistan. Pakistan was divided into West Pakistan (now Pakistan) and East Pakistan
(now Bangladesh). Profound discrimination of West Pakistan over East Pakistan
leads to the independence of Bangladesh through several movement as 1952,
1969,1970 and finally 1971. 9-month Liberation War under the leadership of
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh emerged as a sovereign nation in
1971.
Geographical
location
Bangladesh has a total land area of
147,570 square kilometers. It is a low lying country, with latitude 24 degree
north and longitude 90 degree east. The country surrounded by India on three
sides with the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, Assam, and Meghalaya.
Only a small strip in the southeast shares a border with Myanmar. The Bay of
Bengal lies to the south Bangladesh.
Climate
Bangladesh is a tropical country with a
hot and rainy summer (March to June), a warm and rainy monsoon (June to
October), and a mild dry winter (October to March). January is the coldest
month,
April is the hottest month. Major part of
Bangladesh receives more than 1,525 mm of rain a year, with areas near the
hills receiving more than 5,000 mm, primarily during the monsoon (June- September).
The humidity varies from 73% to 86% and is the highest during the monsoon and
the lowest in the winter.
Religion
and Culture
Majority (approx. 89%) of the population
is Muslim. Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians comprise 9.6%, 0.6%, and 0.3% of
the population respectively. Over 98% of the people speak Bangla. English is
also widely spoken. Bangladesh’s rich cultural traditions are displayed in
archaeological sites, sculptures, terracotta, architecture, museums, archives,
libraries, classical music, dance, paintings, dramas, folk arts, festivals, and
ethnic cultural activities.
Population
and Demography
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics estimates
population of Bangladesh as of 1 July 2011 to be 150.6 million.
With annual population growth rate of
1.37% (BBS 2011), the estimated population as of 1 July 2012
should be 152.7 million and as of 1 July
2013 should be 154.8 million. Bangladesh is one of the most
densely-populated countries in the world,
with 1,021 people living per square km, and approximately 26% of the population
lives in the urban area (BBS 2011). The average household-size is 4.5, and
life-expectancy at birth for both sexes is 69 years (BBS 2011).
Governance
Bangladesh is divided into 7
administrative divisions. Each division is divided into several districts; each
district is further subdivided into several upazilas; each upazila into several
unions; and each union into nine wards. Wards are divided into several
villages. However, ward is the lowest administrative unit of the local government,
having at least one representative elected for 5 years by popular vote. The
city
corporations and municipalities are
designated as urban areas, with 11 city corporations and 310 municipalities
across the country. Bangladesh is a non-federal country governed by
parliamentary
democracy. The National Parliament is
called Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad. There are about 40
ministries. A ministry is headed a by a
minister, with a secretary to head the bureaucrats. There
are 21 such functional divisions. The
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is one of the largest
ministries of the Government of
Bangladesh.
Economy
Despite a declining trend, the agrarian
sector dominates the country’s economy. The principal industries of the country
include readymade garments, textiles, chemical fertilizers, pharmaceuticals,
tea-processing, sugar, and leather goods. The principal minerals include
natural gas, coal, white clay, and glass-sand. The GDP growth rate is 6.3%
(World Bank 2012). The per-capita income is estimated for
the fiscal year 2012-2013 at US$1,044
taking the fiscal 2005-2006 as the base year (BBS 2013).
