Bangladesh Profile

Description Of Bangladesh

Bangladesh under the great leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman emerged as an independent and sovereign country in 1971 following a nine month war of liberation. It is one of the densely populated countries of the world. The majority (about 86.6%) 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).

Full Name: The People's Republic of Bangladesh

Geographical Location: Latitude between 20o34' and 26o38' North Longitude between 88o01' and 92o41' East.

Area: 147,570 sq. km.

Boundaries: North    - India (West Bengal and Meghalaya)

                      West    - India (West Bengal)

                      East     - India (Tripura and Assam) and Myanmar,

                      South   - Bay of Bengal.

Capital: Dhaka

Major Cities: Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Barisal

Standard Time: GMT +6 Hours

Climate Variation: Winter 11o C - 20o C (October - February) 
                                Summer 21o C - 38o C (March - September)

Rainfall: 1100 mm to 3400mm (June - August)

Humidity: Highest 99% (July), Lowest 36% (December & January).

Population: 171.368 million (economic-outlook 2013)

Population Growth Rate: 1.566%

Life Expectancy: 69.75 years

Literacy Rate: 60%

Language: Bangla (national language). 

Principal Crops: Rice, Jute, Tea, Wheat, Sugarcane, Pulses, Mustard, Potato, Vegetables.

Principal Rivers: Padma, Meghna, Jamuna, Surma, Brahmaputra, Karnaphuli, Teesta, Sitalakhya, Rupsha, Madhumati, Gorai, Mahananda etc.

Electricity: 220 Volts AC in all cities and towns

Currency: Taka, having 1000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 in notes and 5,2,1 in coins. 

Religion: Muslims - 86.6%, Hindus - 12.1%, Buddhists - 0.6%, Christians 0.4% and others 0.3%.

Government: Parliamentary form of Government President is the head of the state while the government elected by the people is headed by the Prime Minster.

Business Hours: Government Office Hours: 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, Friday & Saturday closed. Some Private business houses work on Saturday.

Best Tourist Season: October to March

International dialing code: +880