COUNTRY PROFILE

GOVERNMENT

Official Name               :    The Peoples Republic of Bangladesh Dhaka

Capital                          :    Dhaka

President                     :    Md. Zillur Rahman

Administrative Units    :    Division: 6, District: 64, Police Station Thana: Over 500     Unions: 4472,                                                      Villages: 85,650.

Major Cities                 :    Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Barisal, Mymensingh, Comilla.

Independence             :    26 March 1971

    
GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

Geographical Location    :    Between 20° 34 and 26° 38 North Latitude and Between 88° 01 and 92° 41 East Longitude

Area                                    :    1,47,570 sq. km. or 57295 sq. mis. (Territorial water -12nautical miles)

International Boundaries :    North: India (West Bengal and Meghalaya), West India (West Bengal)
        East: India (Tripura and Assam) and Mayanmar, South: Bay of Bengal.

Standard Time                  :    GMT+ 6.00 Hours.

Climate                               :    Sub -tropical monsoon

Climate Variations            :    Winter : December - February

Temperature                      :    Average Maximum 29° C , Average Minimum 11° C

Summer                              :     March - June

Temperature                      :   Average Maximum 32° C,  Average Minimum 21 "C

Rainfall                                :    1,194 mm. to 3,454 mm.

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

 

DEMOGRAPHICS

Population                          :    152.6 Million (UN 2005) 1.59%

Population Growth Rate   :    1.59%

Birth rate                             :    29.8/ 1,000 population

Death rate                          :    8.27/ 1.000 population

Life expectancy                 :    Total population: 60.92

                                                  Male 62 Yrs (UN) and Female 63 Yrs (UN)

Languages                        :    Bangla    :    95%

Dialects                              :    5%

English                               :    Widely Spoken

Religions                           :    Muslim    :    83.3%

Hindu                                  :    10.5%

Buddhist                             :    0.6%

Christian                             :    0.3%

Aninist and believers in tribal faith : 0.3%

Literacy rate                         :    Total Population 62.86%

                                                     Male: 63% and  Female: 49%

 

RESOURCES

Principal Crops                  :    Rice, Jute, Wheat, Tea, Tobacco, Sugarcane

Principal Minerals              :    Natural Gas. Lignite, Coal, Limestone Hard rock, Silica, Sand, White Clay, Radio-active Sand

Principal Rivers                  :    Padma, Meghna, Jamuna, Brahmaputra, Teesta, Surma and Karnaphuli etc.

 Total 230 rivers including tributaries.

 

THE ECONOMY

Currency                              :    Taka

GDP                                      :    USD 206.7 Billion

GDP real growth rate         :    6.51

GDP composition by sector   :    Agriculture 21.77%, Industry 29.01%, Services 49.22%

Population below poverty line :    35.8%

Inflation Rate                           :    8.00%

Exports                                     :    US$ 12177.86 million

Major Industries                    :    Ready-made Garment, Jute, Tea, Textiles. Paper Newsprint, Fertilizer, Leather and Leather Goods, Sugar, Cement, Fish, processing, Pharmaceuticals, Chemical industries

Traditional Export Items       :    Readymade Garment, Raw-jute, Jute manufactures and Jute
products, Tea, Leather & Leather products

Non-traditional Export Items  :    Frozen shrimps, other fish products newsprint, Paper, Naptha,
Furnace oil, Urea, Ceramic products

Major Imports                           :    Wheat, Oil Seeds, Crude petroleum, Raw cotton, Edible oil, Petroleum products, Fertilizer. Staple fibres, Yarn, Iron and steel.

Major Trading Partners          :    USA, EU countries. India, China. Japan. South Korea, Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, UAE.

 COMMUNICATIONS

Radio Broadcast Stations    :    Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet, Comilla Rangamati and Thakurgaon.

TV Broadcast Stations          :    Dhaka, Natore. Chittagong, Brahmanbaria, Patuakhali, Noakhali

Satellite Stations                    :    Betbunia (Chittagong) and Talibabad (Dhaka) for international        telecommunication.

Tourist Season                       :    October to March

Main Tourist Attractions         :    Colourful tribal life of Hill Tracts World's longest sea beach at Cox's Bazar, National Museum, Lalbag Fort, Paharpur, Mainamati, Mohastangar, The Sundarban-World's largest mangrove forest and home of the Royal Bengal Tiger, Sylhet -Beautiful tea garden, riverine life, etc.

Wearing Apparels                :    Tropical in summer and Light woollen in Winter