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1971-
Birth Of Bangladesh
The country that is now Bangladesh was once East Bengal. This province of India
had been created in 1905 by a partition of Bengal. The two parts were reunited
in 1912, but when the Indian subcontinent received independence from Great Britain
in 1947 the area that was East Bengal became the eastern part of Pakistan, the
Muslim country established in the subcontinent. East Pakistan was 1,000 miles
(1,600 kilometers) from West Pakistan. In addition to the distance, East Pakistan
differed from West Pakistan in language and culture. West Pakistan controlled
the government and the army. Nationalist sentiment in East Pakistan eventually
turned into guerrilla warfare against the Pakistani Army. On March 26, 1971,
the day after Pakistan's leader ordered his army to put down the independence
movement, the nationalists proclaimed an independent state of Bangladesh. At
the end of 1971 the Indian Army joined the Bangladeshi nationalists and defeated
West Pakistan in a 13-day war. After Pakistan's defeat a new government was
installed at Dhaka, the capital of the new state. The union with Pakistan (formerly
West Pakistan) was officially ended on Jan. 10, 1972.Back
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Facts About Bangladesh
Official Name --- People's Republic of Bangladesh.
Capital --- Dhaka.
Area --- 55,598 square miles (143,998 square kilometers).
Population (1991 estimate) --- 108,760,000; 1,956.2 persons per square mile
(755.3 persons per square kilometer); 24.4 percent urban, 75.6 percent rural.
Major Language --- Bengali (official).
Major Religion --- Islam (official).
Mountain Ranges --- Chittagong Hills, Sylhet Hills.
Highest Peak --- Keokradong Hill, 4,034 feet (1,230 meters).
Largest Lake --- Karnaphuli Reservoir, 253 square miles (655 square kilometers).
Major Rivers --- Ganges (Padma), Brahmaputra (Jamuna), Meghna.
Form of Government --- Republic.
Chief of State --- President.
Head of Government --- Prime Minister.
Legislature --- Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament).
Voting Qualification --- 18 years of age.
Political Divisions --- 4 divisions divided into 64 districts.
Major Cities (1990 estimate) --- Dhaka (5,731,000), Chittagong (2,133,000),
Khulna (1,029,000), Rajshahi (427,000).
Chief Manufactured Products --- Cement, cotton textiles and yarn, fertilizer,
jute textiles, paper, iron and steel, sheet glass.
Chief Agricultural Products --- Crops rice, sugarcane, wheat, bananas, jute.
Livestock cattle, buffalo, goats, poultry, sheep.
Monetary Unit --- 1 taka = 100 paisa.Back To Top
Bangladesh is surrounded by India on the west, north, and northeast; Myanmar (Burma) on the southeast; and the Bay of Bengal on the south. The country is inhabited almost entirely by people who speak the Bengali language, and it has a distinctive Bengali culture shared by adjacent West Bengal, a state of India. Bangladesh and West Bengal constituted the former Bengal Province of British India, and the region is still referred to informally as Bengal. Back To Top
Land and Climate
Bangladesh, most of which is at low elevations, is divided into five physical
regions: the Ganges Delta proper to the southwest, the Paradelta to the northwest,
the East-Central plains, the Sylhet Hills in the northeast, and the southeast
Chittagong region.The Ganges Delta is geologically the most recently formed
of the regions. Mangrove forests thrive in the active lower delta, which is
flooded by fresh and tidal waters. The soil base is new alluvium.The Paradelta,
like the delta proper, is a plain, but its elevations are higher 100 to 300
feet (30 to 90 meters) above sea level. Its soils are varied: silt and sandy
clays and old alluvium. It lies between the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers.The
East-Central plains, with the Meghna River almost at its center, consists of
plains and active floodplains in which the main rivers, including the Brahmaputra,
have altered their channels in the past. At the center of this plain lies Madhupur
Jungle, formerly a site for tiger hunting. To the northeast is the Meghna depression,
part of which is only 10 feet (3 meters) above sea level; during the rainy season
it turns into a huge lake, covering most of its 2,800-square-mile (7,250-square-kilometer)
basin. The Sylhet Hills and ranges are a small extension of the foothills of
India's Meghalaya Plateau. Its highest peak (Harargaj) reaches 1,103 feet (336
meters). The Chittagong region primarily consists of coastal plains and islands.
It also includes the Matamori River delta and parts of the Karnaphuli River
valley to the west and ridges and valleys to the east.
River systems: The extensive river systems of Bangladesh are fundamental to the nation's economy and way of life. The rivers flow into the Bay of Bengal. About three fourths of the water emptied into the bay is carried during the rainy season, especially June through September. The foremost river is the Ganges, known in Bangladesh as the Padma. A sacred river to the Hindus, it originates in the snow-clad Himalayas in India and flows for most of its 1,557 miles (2,506 kilometers) in India. Forming part of the Bangladesh-India border in the west, the Ganges turns southeast into the channel of the Meghna. The Meghna breaks into branches that form part of a vast delta adjoining the Bay of Bengal. (See Also Ganges River.) The Brahmaputra-Tista system joins the Ganges almost at the center of the country. The Brahmaputra originates in the Kailas range of the Himalayas in Tibet and enters Bangladesh from the north; its total length is about 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometers). In Bangladesh its main stream is known as the Jamuna. The Tista changed its course in 1787, and the two rivers joined and now flow on the course of the Brahmaputra. The Tista also originates in the Himalayas and enters Bangladesh from the north. (See also Brahmaputra River.) The rain-fed Meghna-Surma system consists of the Meghna and its tributary, the Surma. Together they run a course of about 130 miles (210 kilometers) before joining the Ganges-Padma southeast of Dhaka. During the rainy season the water from the system flows back into the Meghna depression, creating a vast sheet of water. The lower Meghna is formed after the Ganges-Padma joins it, following a course of 95 miles (155 kilometers) to the Bay of Bengal. The foremost river in Asia in average annual discharge (which totals about 875 million acre-feet), the Ganges-Padma is surpassed only by the Amazon and the Congo rivers. The Chittagong region river system consists of three main rivers: the Karnaphuli, the Sangu, and the Matamori. All are swift-flowing, relatively small rivers of the hill country that frequently cause flash floods. The harbor of the Chittagong is located at the mouth of the Karnaphuli.
Climate: Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon type of climate, with heavy summer rain and high summer temperatures. Winters are dry and cool. South and southwest winds dominate the six-month period of mid-April to mid-October and bring enormous amounts of moisture from the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal; 95 percent of the total annual rainfall, which averages about 80 inches (203 centimeters), occurs during that period. The temperatures range from an average of about 68 F (20 C) in January to about 86 F (30 C) in April. Bengalis subdivide the year into six seasons: Grissho (summer), Barsha (rainy), Sarat (autumn), Hemanto (cool), Sheet (winter), and Basanta (spring). For practical purposes, however, three seasons are distinguished: summer, rainy, and winter. Rain begins to fall in April, the hottest month. Farmers then begin to plow their fields for the main crop planting. With the break of monsoon in the first week of June, the extremely heavy monsoon rains start suddenly, and average temperatures fall into the low 80s F. These heavy rains prevail for two to three months and continue more moderately into November. Destructive floods every two or three years are common in Bangladesh. Between 1960 and 1970, nine cyclones accompanied with floods hit Bangladesh during the October through December period. Floods devastate summer crops, destroy homes, and drown people and livestock. In 1988 monsoon rains left 2,000 people dead and 30 million homeless. Later that year a cyclone killed 1,700 people. As many as 131,000 people were killed by a May 1991 cyclone that caused 2.7 billion dollars in damages.Back To Top
With more than 107 million people, Bangladesh ranks as the world's 10th most populous country. According to projections, the population will reach 140 million by the year 2000. This rapid growth places a great and growing strain on the heavily agricultural economy of Bangladesh, which is already one of the world's most crowded countries. Like most developing countries, Bangladesh has a young population; nearly half of the people are under the age of 15. The population is 51.5 percent male and 48.5 percent female. Although infant mortality has declined recently, it still stands at a high level of about 110 per 1,000. Muslims constitute about 85 percent of the population of Bangladesh, but the Hindus form a sizable minority of about 12 percent. Most of the remainder are Buddhists and Christians. Racially, Bangladesh is a mixture of three groups: Australoids, Mongoloids, and Caucasoids. The latter group, which is divided into dark-skinned Dravidians and the lighter Aryans, dominates most parts of the country. Bengali is the state language and mother tongue of 98 percent of the people in Bangladesh. The staple food of the Bengalis is rice, which is generally eaten three times a day. Boiled rice and fish curry is the common diet. Most women in Bangladesh wear a sari, a cloth about 15 feet (4.6 meters) long that is wrapped around the body. The Muslim males wear a lungi, a cloth wrapped below the waist, and Hindu men wear a dhoti, a white cloth almost as long as a sari, wrapped around the waist with one end tucked in the back and the other draped in front. Shirts are worn with both the lungi and the dhoti, and blouses are worn with the sari. In urban areas Western dress is more popular with men than it is with women. Back To Top
Economy
The backbone of the Bangladesh economy, agriculture contributes about 45 percent
of the gross domestic product. Approximately two thirds of the land area is
cultivated. Rice and jute are the principal agricultural crops, and others include
wheat, barley, corn (maize), millet, lentils, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes,
vegetables, spices, oil seeds, cotton, and sugarcane. Tea is grown in the northeastern
areas. The growing season lasts throughout the year, which permits Bangladesh
to devote about half of the cultivated land to multiple-cropping. Traditionally
three rice crops are grown each year. The summer-rainy season rice crop is called
kharif, the rainy season crop haimantik, and the winter crop rabi. The three
principal categories of rice aman, aus, and boro are associated with kharif,
haimantik, and rabi crops, respectively. About half of the rice acreage is in
aman, though boro provides higher yields. The major industry in Bangladesh is
based on the jute crop. Jute fiber, mainly used for the manufacture of sacks,
is a specialty of Bangladesh. About two fifths of the world's jute is produced
in Bangladesh, which is also the world's leading exporter. Jute is Bangladesh's
principal foreign-exchange earner. More than 30 percent of the laborers engaged
in large industries in Bangladesh are employed by more than 70 jute mills, which
manufacture about half a million tons of products annually. Other products come
from rice and cotton mills; forest-based industry (match factories and paper
mills); mineral-based industry (cement, glass, chemicals, petroleum, and fertilizers);
and engineering and steel industries. Dhaka, the national capital, is located
almost at the center of the country. As early as medieval times it was a flourishing
city; it has a population of about 4.5 million. Other large cities include Chittagong,
Khulna, and Rajshahi. (See also Dhaka.)Back To Top
Transportation, Communication, and
Education
Water transportation is vital in Bangladesh because of the country's extensive
river network. During the rainy season boats weighing 10 tons and more can ply
4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers) of its waterways and smaller craft can use an
additional 11,000 miles (17,700 kilometers). During the drier seasons the number
of navigable miles shrinks considerably. The total number of passenger and cargo
boats amounts to more than 350,000. Other means of transportation are not well
developed. The Bangladesh Railways is owned by the government and operates only
about 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) of track. Nevertheless it carries some
90 million passengers and 3.2 million tons of cargo annually. There are about
100,000 miles (160,000 kilometers) of roads. About 12 percent are paved. The
official airline, the Bangladesh Biman, operates mainly from the international
airport at Dhaka with connections to Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Comilla, Jessore,
Thakurgaon, Ishurdi, and Sylhet. It carries about half a million passengers
annually. The communications network is also rather limited. The telephone system
has few connections outside of Dhaka. Radio and television transmission is government-owned,
and transmission centers include Dhaka and Chittagong. Daily newspapers are
printed both in Bengali and English. Because English is taught beginning in
the third grade in elementary schools, it is a second language for many people.
Dhaka University is the nation's most prestigious.Back To Top
History and Government
Bangladesh has a long history that is divided into four phases:
Hindu or Buddhist kingdoms to the 12th century AD; Muslim domination from the
13th century through 1757; British rule from 1757 through 1947; and the recent
era, which includes the Pakistan period from 1947 to 1971 and the period of
an independent Bangladesh from 1971. Although historical accounts of Bengal,
referred to as Gangaridi, occur from the 4th century BC, the political domination
of the region was well defined during the reign of Bengal-based dynasties of
the Palas (750-1160), who were Buddhists, and the Senas (1095-1205), who were
Hindus. The Pala capital was in northwestern Bengal, while the Senas operated
from Bikrampur, a few miles south of Dhaka. Islamic domination of Bengal began
in 1204. The region remained largely independent of the Delhi sovereigns of
India until 1576, when generals of the Mughal emperor Akbar converted Bengal
into a province of the Indian Empire. Dhaka became the capital of the province.
When the Delhi-based Mughal Empire began disintegrating in 1707, Bengal again
became independent and was ruled by Muslims. The last of these rulers was defeated
in 1757 by the British. During this period a large number of Muslims migrated
to Bengal from both western India and the Middle East. British rule of Bengal
(1757-1947) was headquartered in Calcutta. Bengal province was partitioned into
the Hindu West and Muslim East in 1905, but a powerful protest forced the British
to reunite it in 1912. During this period Dhaka was the capital of East Bengal.
After the British left India in 1947, the subcontinent was divided into India
and Pakistan. The latter consisted of two geographically separate divisions,
East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh) and West Pakistan (present-day Pakistan).
When the East Pakistan-based Awami League candidates won a majority in the Pakistan
National Assembly in the 1970 elections, a power struggle within the country
was the result. The West Pakistan-based government began cracking down on East
Pakistan, unleashing one of the most severe repressions in history upon the
Bengali people. Almost 10 million refugees fled to neighboring India. Late in
1971 East Pakistan was liberated from West Pakistan, and on Dec. 16, 1971, it
declared its independence and gave itself a new name, Bangladesh. Bangladesh
held its first national election in 1973, and the Awami League party, led by
Mujibur Rahman (known as Sheikh Mujib), won almost all 300 seats of the Parliament.
A parliamentary democracy was introduced with Abu Sayeed Choudhury as president
and Mujib as prime minister. However, the nation was so strained by internal
chaos that by December 1974 the constitution was amended, making Mujib president
with power to rule by personal decree. In August 1975 a coup was staged by the
military, and Mujib was assassinated. The army chief, Ziaur Rahman , seized
power in November 1975, and Abu Sadat Mohammed Sayem, a civilian, was named
president. After Sayem's resignation in 1977, Ziaur became the president. By
the end of 1977 democracy was partially reinstated, and Ziaur, who led in the
formation of a new Jatiya (Nationalist) party, became the elected president
in 1978. In 1979 martial law, which had been in effect since 1975, was lifted,
and a democratic form of government was restored. On an official visit to Chittagong
in November 1981, Ziaur was assassinated. Abdus Sattar, the vice-president,
succeeded to the presidency. In March 1982 the army chief Hussain Mohammed Ershad
staged a bloodless coup. Martial law was then proclaimed, and Ershad became
the nation's chief administrator. Ershad lifted martial law in November 1986.
In 1987-88 he declared a state of emergency after violent antigovernment protests
over the poor state of the economy. Ershad dissolved Parliament in December
1987. In parliamentary elections held in March 1988, the ruling Jatiya party
won a majority of seats. In June 1988 Ershad amended the country's constitution
and made Islam the state religion. He resigned amid protests in 1990, and the
following year was sentenced to ten years in prison for possessing illegal firearms.
Khaleda Zia , Ziaur's widow, was elected prime minister in early 1991. In August
her plan to reduce the powers of the presidency by changing the form of governmet
to a parliamentary democracy was ratified by Parliament.
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(This article written by Ashok K. Dutt)