Bangladesh. People's Republic of Bangladesh
A state in the northeast of South Asia. Area - about 148.4 thousand km². Capital - Dhaka (over 9 million including suburbs). The main seaport and trade-industrial center with a free export zone - Chittagong (2.7 million). Administrative-territorial division: 5 regions. Population - approximately 140 million (2004); 98% are Bengalis. In the Chittagong Hill Tracts live small ethnic groups of Assamese-Burmese origin (Chakma, Santals, Marma, Khasi, etc.). In Bangladesh, there are Biharis—migrants from the northern regions of India. With an average annual growth rate reduced to 1.8%, the population density exceeds 900 people per 1 km², exacerbating a number of socio-economic problems. The official language is Bengali, English is also used. The state religion is Islam, practiced by 88.3% of believers; Hinduism - 10.5%, Buddhism - 0.6%, a small number of Christians. The currency is taka — 100 poisha.
It has diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation (established with the USSR on January 25, 1972).
National holiday - March 26 - Independence Day (1971).
Bangladesh is a unitary republic with a parliamentary form of government. The constitution of 1972 (with subsequent amendments) is in effect. The parliament is a unicameral National Assembly, with 300 deputies elected by universal suffrage. The term of office for parliament is 5 years. For the same term, the parliament elects the head of state - the president of the country (since September 2002 - Yajuddin Ahmed).
As a result of the general elections (October 2001), the Prime Minister (head of the executive branch) of the country became Begum Khaleda Zia, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, for the second time after a 5-year break; her party, together with Jamaat-e-Islami, the United Islamic Bloc, and one faction of the National Party, formed a four-party coalition government of a right-conservative orientation.
There are about 100 political parties in the country — from far-right and extremist to ultra-left. The ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP; founded in 1978) is guided by the ideas of "Bangladeshi nationalism" and Islam. It was in power from March 1991 to June 1996. As a result of the 2001 elections, it won 196 seats in parliament.
The far-right Jamaat-e-Islami, which advocates Islamic fundamentalism, has significant influence among a certain part of the population (17 seats).
The leading opposition party is the Awami League (AL), led by Sheikh Hasina, daughter of the founder of the Bangladeshi state Mujibur Rahman, who was killed during a coup in 1975. Founded in 1949, it was the ruling party from 1972-75 and again from 1996 to 2001, generally advocating secular, largely left-center positions (58 seats in parliament).
The National Party of former President H. M. Ershad, whose authoritarian regime ended under pressure from mass protests in December 1990, still holds some influence; it was founded in 1986 (14 seats).
Trade union associations: National Workers League (the largest), United Council of Workers and Employees, Bangladesh Trade Union Center.
Until 1947, Eastern Bengal was part of colonial India. As a result of the religiously-based partition of the former British colony into India and Pakistan, the territory of modern Bangladesh became East Pakistan. In the December (1970) general elections, the Awami League (led by Mujibur Rahman) won, advocating a program for full regional autonomy for East Pakistan. Bangladesh was proclaimed an independent state on March 26, 1971. The armed struggle for independence against the Pakistani army ended on December 16, 1971. The internal political situation during the years of independence remained unstable. There were several coups, and 15 presidents changed. For about 8 years, the country lived under military rule.
The current internal political situation in the country is characterized by a permanent, sometimes sharply confrontational struggle between the four-party coalition government, led by the BNP, which came to power as a result of the general elections in October 2001, and the AL, which ceded power to it. The situation in the country is also negatively affected by factors such as the impoverishment of a significant part of the population, high levels of unemployment, crime, and corruption.
Bangladesh is a member of the UN (since 1974). It is part of the Commonwealth led by Great Britain, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and since 1972 - the Colombo Plan, the "Group of 77", the "D-8" organization, the South Asian "Growth Quadrangle", and the BIMSTEC (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand) economic cooperation group; it initiated the creation of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in 1985 and the Asian Parliaments for Peace Association in 1999. On the international stage, Dhaka, declaring its commitment to the principles of the UN and adhering to the principle of "friendship with all, enmity with none," gives priority to relations with its immediate neighbors in South Asia, primarily India. Alongside this, in recent years, the government has actively pursued a policy of establishing and developing close political and trade-economic ties with Southeast Asian and East Asian countries. The foreign policy platform of Bangladesh, oriented towards pragmatic expansion and dynamization of relations with various countries, complements its traditional non-involvement in blocs and conflicts with a tendency towards a more active and diversified model of participation in world affairs. This creates an objective interest for Dhaka in a multipolar world order. Bangladesh actively participates in UN peacekeeping activities.
The country has certain natural resource reserves. There are natural gas fields, with reserves estimated between 450 billion m³ and 1400 billion m³, and an annual production volume of 15 billion m³. The exploitation of oil fields meets 2.5% of the country's needs. Coal, peat, and limestone deposits are being developed. The available hydropower resources are nearly fully utilized. The installed capacity of power plants is about 4000 MW, with most electricity generated at thermal power plants.
According to the UN classification, Bangladesh is among the least economically developed countries in the world (annual income per capita - $420). The average life expectancy is about 60 years.
The GDP growth rate, which is $56 billion, was 5.5% in 2004. In agriculture (64% of the population is employed), 30% of GDP is created. The grain harvest (rice, wheat) does not exceed 17-19 million tons; food shortages are covered by imports (about 2 million tons per year).
Industry accounts for 12% of GDP. The main sectors of manufacturing include jute, textiles, garment, and leather industries. Bangladesh is a major producer and exporter of jute. Among export goods are ready-made garments, light machinery, plumbing and kitchen equipment, footwear, perfumes, household appliances, computer equipment, communication devices, pharmaceuticals, and other consumer goods. There is a policy to encourage private entrepreneurship. Foreign capital has a strong presence in the tobacco, pharmaceutical, chemical, leather, electrical engineering, and electronics industries, as well as in tea processing.
Main trade and economic partners - the USA, Japan, EU countries. The total trade turnover of the country in 2004 amounted to $17.3 billion (exports - $7.5 billion, imports - $9.8 billion). The main export goods are: ready-made garments (75%), jute and jute products, tea, and seafood. In the nomenclature of goods imported into Bangladesh, industrial goods, machinery, and equipment predominate. The largest importers of Bangladeshi products are the USA, the UK, Germany, and France. Among the major suppliers of goods to Bangladesh are India, Japan, China, and the USA. The export of labor is one of the main sources of foreign currency inflow ($3.4 billion in 2004). The external trade balance deficit in 2004 exceeded $2.3 billion. The external debt is estimated at $17 billion, accounting for 30% of GDP. The country's foreign currency reserves are $3 billion (December 2004). According to experts, the development of Bangladesh's economy depends 50% on foreign aid. The Bangladesh Aid Consortium (which unites several Western countries and international financial organizations) allocates about $2 billion annually for the country's needs. The total volume of investment commitments from foreign companies exceeded $12 billion in June 2005.
The inflation rate is 5%.
The country has 2818 km of railways and about 10.5 thousand km of roads. The length of navigable transport and passenger waterways reaches 8.5 thousand km. The national airline "Biman" connects Dhaka with 26 destinations in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Alongside Chittagong, the seaport of Mongla operates. An international automatic telephone and fax communication line is established in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, and Sylhet.
65% of Bangladeshis are literate. There are 4 civil universities (Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, and Savar), and an Islamic university operates. There are specialized higher and secondary educational institutions: polytechnic, agricultural, medical, and commercial.
There are about 60 research institutes in the country.
The country publishes about 500 daily newspapers, more than 400 weekly newspapers and magazines, with a total of about 2000 periodicals. The largest daily newspapers: in Bengali - "Prothom Alo" (250 thousand copies), "Naya Diganta" (210 thousand), "Ittefaq" (180 thousand), "Jugantar" (180 thousand), "Inquilab" (150 thousand), "Janakantha" (120 thousand); in English - "Daily Star" (30 thousand), "Bangladesh Observer" (15 thousand).
Bangladeshi news agencies: state - Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) and private - "United News of Bangladesh" (UNB). Broadcasting and television in Bengali and English are represented by state organizations and private companies.