1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical; cool, dry winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); cool, rainy monsoon (June to October)
Coastline
580 km
Comparative area
slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Contiguous zone
18 nm
Continental shelf
up to outer limits of continental margin
Disputes
a portion of the boundary with India is in dispute; water sharing problems with upstream riparian India over the Ganges
Environment
vulnerable to droughts; much of country routinely flooded during summer monsoon season; overpopulation; deforestation
Exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Land area
133,910 km2
Land boundaries
4,246 km total; Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km
Land use
arable land 67%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 16%; other 11%; includes irrigated 14%
Natural resources
natural gas, uranium, arable land, timber
Note
almost completely surrounded by India
Terrain
mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
144,000 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
36 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
12 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
Bengali 98%, Biharis 250,000, and tribals less than 1 million
Infant mortality rate
112 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
35,100,000; agriculture 74%, services 15%, industry and commerce 11% (FY86); extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman (1991)
Languages
Bangla (official), English widely used
Life expectancy at birth
55 years male, 54 years female (1992)
Literacy
35% (male 47%, female 22%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun - Bangladeshi(s); adjective - Bangladesh
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Organized labor
3% of labor force belongs to 2,614 registered unions (1986 est.)
Population
119,411,711 (July 1992), growth rate 2.4% (1992)
Religions
Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, Buddhist, Christian, and other less than 1%
Total fertility rate
4.6 children born/woman (1992)
Government
Administrative divisions
64 districts (zillagulo, singular - zilla); Bagerhat, Bandarban, Barguna, Barisal, Bhola, Bogra, Brahmanbaria, Chandpur, Chapai Nawabganj, Chattagram, Chuadanga, Comilla, Cox's Bazar, Dhaka, Dinajpur, Faridpur, Feni, Gaibandha, Gazipur, Gopalganj, Habiganj, Jaipurhat, Jamalpur, Jessore, Jhalakati, Jhenaidah, Khagrachari, Khulna, Kishorganj, Kurigram, Kushtia, Laksmipur, Lalmonirhat, Madaripur, Magura, Manikganj, Meherpur, Moulavibazar, Munshiganj, Mymensingh, Naogaon, Narail, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Nator, Netrakona, Nilphamari, Noakhali, Pabna, Panchagar, Parbattya Chattagram, Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Rajbari, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Satkhira, Shariyatpur, Sherpur, Sirajganj, Sunamganj, Sylhet, Tangail, Thakurgaon
Capital
Dhaka
Chief of State
President Abdur Rahman BISWAS (since 8 October 1991)
Communists
5,000 members (1987 est.)
Constitution
4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986, amended NA March 1991
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Abul AHSAN; Chancery at 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone (202) 342-8372 through 8376; there is a Bangladesh Consulate General in New York US: Ambassador William B. MILAM; Embassy at Diplomatic Enclave, Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka (mailing address is G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1212); telephone [880] (2) 884700-22; FAX [880] (2) 883648
Executive branch
president, prime minister, Cabinet
Flag
green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side of center; green is the traditional color of Islam
Head of Government
Prime Minister Khaleda ZIAUR Rahman (since 20 March 1991)
Independence
16 December 1971 (from Pakistan; formerly East Pakistan)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Legal system
based on English common law
Legislative branch
unicameral National Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad)
Long-form name
People's Republic of Bangladesh
Member of
AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WHO, WFTU, WIPO, WCL, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 26 March (1971)
National Parliament
last held 27 February 1991 (next to be held NA February 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (330 total, 300 elected and 30 seats reserved for women) BNP 168, AL 93, JP 35, JI 20, CBP 5, National Awami Party (Muzaffar) 1, Workers Party 1, SIRAJ 1, Ganotantri Party 1, Islami Oikya Jote 1, NDP 1, independents 3
Political parties and leaders
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Khaleda ZIAUR Rahman; Awami League (AL), Sheikh Hasina WAZED; Jatiyo Party (JP), Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD; Jamaat-E-Islami (JI), Ali KHAN; Bangladesh Communist Party (BCP), Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK; National Awami Party (Muzaffar); Workers Party, leader NA; Jatiyo Samajtantik Dal (National Socialist Party - SIRAJ), M. A. JALIL; Ganotantri Party, leader NA; Islami Oikya Jote, leader NA; National Democratic Party (NDP), leader NA; Muslim League, Khan A. SABUR; Democratic League, Khondakar MUSHTAQUE Ahmed; United People's Party, Kazi ZAFAR Ahmed
President
last held 8 October 1991 (next to be held by NA October 1996); results - Abdur Rahman BISWAS received 52.1% of parliamentary vote
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for about 40% of GDP, 70% of employment, and one-third of exports; imports 10% of food grain requirements; world's largest exporter of jute; commercial products - jute, rice, wheat, tea, sugarcane, potatoes, beef, milk, poultry; shortages include wheat, vegetable oils and cotton; fish catch 778,000 metric tons in 1986
Budget
revenues $2.24 billion; expenditures $3.7 billion (FY91)
Currency
taka (plural - taka); 1 taka (Tk) = 100 paise
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $11.65 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $6.52 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $1.5 billion
Electricity
1,990,000 kW capacity; 5,700 million kWh produced, 50 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
taka (Tk) per US$1 - 38.800 (January 1992), 36.596 (1991), 34.569 (1990), 32.270 (1989), 31.733 (1988), 30.950 (1987)
Exports
$1.7 billion (FY91 est.) commodities: garments, jute and jute goods, leather, shrimp partners: US 32%, Italy 8.1%, UK 6.2% (FY90)
External debt
$11.1 billion (FY91 est.)
Fiscal year
1 July - 30 June
GDP
exchange rate conversion - $23.1 billion, per capita $200; real growth rate 3.2% (FY91)
Imports
$3.5 billion (FY91 est.) commodities: capital goods, petroleum, food, textiles partners: Japan 9.2%, India 6.2%, Singapore 5.9%, US 5.7%
Industrial production
growth rate 1% (FY91 est.); accounts for 10% of GDP
Industries
jute manufacturing, cotton textiles, food processing, steel, fertilizer
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
8.9% (FY91 est.)
Overview
Bangladesh is one of the poorest nations in the world. The economy is based on the output of a narrow range of agricultural products, such as jute, which is the main cash crop and major source of export earnings, and rice. Bangladesh is hampered by a relative lack of natural resources, population growth of more than 2% a year, large-scale unemployment, and a limited infrastructure; furthermore, it is highly vulnerable to natural disasters. Despite these constraints, real GDP growth averaged about 3.5% annually during 1985-89. A strong agricultural performance in FY90 pushed the growth rate up to 6.2%, and FY91 saw further, though smaller, increases in output. Alleviation of poverty remains the cornerstone of the government's development strategy.
Unemployment rate
30%, including underemployment (FY90 est.)
Communications
Airports
16 total, 12 usable; 12 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 6 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
15 major transport aircraft
Highways
7,240 km total (1985); 3,840 km paved, 3,400 km unpaved
Inland waterways
5,150-8,046 km navigable waterways (includes 2,575-3,058 km main cargo routes)
Merchant marine
44 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 328,382 GRT/479,985 DWT; includes 36 cargo, 2 petroleum tanker, 3 refrigerated cargo, 3 bulk
Pipelines
natural gas 1,220 km
Ports
Chittagong, Chalna
Railroads
2,892 km total (1986); 1,914 km 1.000 meter gauge, 978 km 1.676 meter broad gauge
Telecommunications
adequate international radio communications and landline service; fair domestic wire and microwave service; fair broadcast service; 241,250 telephones; broadcast stations - 9 AM, 6 FM, 11 TV; 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth stations
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force; paramilitary forces - Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Ansars, Armed Police Reserve, Coastal Police
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $339 million, 1.5% of GDP (FY92 budget)
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 29,891,224; 17,745,343 fit for military service