Etymology and History
- The term 'Bangladesh' originated from Bengali patriotic songs in the early 20th century and gained official status during the Sultanate of Bengal in the 14th century.
- Bangladesh has a rich history, with Stone Age tools found in different parts of the country and various waves of migration leading to the settlement of ancient Bengal.
- Ancient Bengal saw the development of metal weaponry, coinage, agriculture, and irrigation, with major urban settlements forming during the late Iron Age.
- Islamic Bengal was divided into two phases: maritime trade and Muslim dynastic rule, with flourishing trade with Arabia and Persia.
- Bengal went through the Sultanate Period, Mughal Period, and Nawabs of Bengal rule, with significant developments in governance, trade, and industries.
Partition and Independence
- East Bengal became the most populous province in the Dominion of Pakistan in 1947 and was renamed as East Pakistan.
- The Bengali Language Movement and pro-democracy movements in the 1950s led to the rise of Bengali nationalism.
- The Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 resulted in the independence of Bangladesh, making it the first constitutionally secular state in South Asia.
Challenges and Achievements
- Bangladesh faces challenges such as corruption, political instability, overpopulation, and the effects of climate change.
- Bangladesh has been a leader within the Climate Vulnerable Forum and hosts the headquarters of BIMSTEC.
- Bangladesh is a founding member of SAARC and a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Commonwealth of Nations.
- Bangladesh is a unitary parliamentary republic based on the Westminster system.
Ancient Bengal
- Ancient Bengal is linked to the fort city in Wari-Bateshwar and identified with the trading center of Souanagoura.
- Roman geographers noted a large seaport in southeastern Bengal, and the region was ruled by various ancient Buddhist and Hindu states.
- Ancient Bengal had well-developed currencies, banking, shipping, architecture, and art.
British Rule and Political Developments
- Bengal was the first region of South Asia conquered by the British East India Company, leading to the establishment of the feudal zamindari system.
- Company policies led to the deindustrialization of Bengal's textile industry, and Bengal's tax revenue was invested in the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain.
- The British Raj saw the emergence of schools, colleges, and a university in Bangladesh, as well as political developments such as the formation of the All India Muslim League and the reorganization of provinces.
- The partition of Bengal in 1947 and the subsequent union with Pakistan brought economic discrimination and political repression, leading to the Bengali Language Movement and ultimately the War of Independence in 1971.
Bangladesh (/ˌbæŋɡləˈdɛʃ, ˌbɑːŋ-/; Bengali: বাংলাদেশ,pronounced [ˈbaŋlaˌdeʃ] ⓘ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world and is among the most densely populated countries with a population of nearly 174 million in an area of 148,460 square kilometres (57,320 sq mi). Bangladesh shares land borders with India to the west, north, and east, and Myanmar to the southeast; to the south, it has a coastline along the Bay of Bengal. It is narrowly separated from Bhutan and Nepal by the Siliguri Corridor and from China by the Indian state of Sikkim in the north. Dhaka, the capital and largest city, is the nation's political, financial, and cultural centre. Chittagong, the second-largest city, is the busiest port on the Bay of Bengal. The official language is Bengali.
People's Republic of Bangladesh
| |
|---|---|
| Anthem: আমার সোনার বাংলা Amar Shonar Bangla "My Golden Bengal" | |
| Official Seal of the Government of Bangladesh | |
.svg) | |
| Capital and largest city | Dhaka 23°45′50″N 90°23′20″E / 23.76389°N 90.38889°E |
| Official language and national language | Bengali |
| Minority languages |
|
| Ethnic groups (2022) | 98.2–99% Bengalis |
| Religion | |
| Demonym(s) | Bangladeshi |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary republic |
| Mohammed Shahabuddin | |
| Sheikh Hasina | |
| Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury | |
| Obaidul Hassan | |
| Legislature | Jatiya Sangsad |
| Independence from Pakistan | |
| 26 March 1971 | |
• Victory | 16 December 1971 |
| 16 December 1972 | |
| Area | |
• Total | 148,460 km2 (57,320 sq mi) (92nd) |
• Water (%) | 6.4 |
• Land area | 130,170 km2 |
• Water area | 18,290 km2 |
| Population | |
• 2023 census | 170,000,000 (8th) |
• Density | 1,165/km2 (3,017.3/sq mi) (12th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2024 estimate |
• Total |  $1.617 trillion (25th) |
• Per capita | $9,399 (128th) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2024 estimate |
• Total | $469.346 billion (34th) |
• Per capita | $2,728 (137th) |
| Gini (2022) |  49.9high |
| HDI (2021) | 0.661 medium · 129th |
| Currency | Taka (৳) (BDT) |
| Time zone | UTC+6 (BST) |
| Driving side | left |
| Calling code | +880 |
| ISO 3166 code | BD |
| Internet TLD | .bd .বাংলা |
Bangladesh forms the sovereign part of the historic and ethnolinguistic region of Bengal, which was divided during the Partition of India in 1947. The country has a Bengali Muslim majority. Ancient Bengal was known as Gangaridai and was a bastion of pre-Islamic kingdoms. Muslim conquests after 1204 heralded the sultanate and Mughal periods, during which an independent Bengal Sultanate and a wealthy Mughal Bengal transformed the region into an important centre of regional affairs, trade, and diplomacy. After 1757, Bengal's administrative jurisdiction reached its greatest extent under the Bengal Presidency of the British Empire. The creation of Eastern Bengal and Assam in 1905 set a precedent for the emergence of Bangladesh. In 1940, the first Prime Minister of Bengal, A. K. Fazlul Huq, supported the Lahore Resolution. Before the partition of Bengal, a Bengali sovereign state was first proposed by premier H. S. Suhrawardy. A referendum and the announcement of the Radcliffe Line established the present-day territorial boundary.
In 1947, East Bengal became the most populous province in the Dominion of Pakistan. It was renamed as East Pakistan, with Dhaka becoming the country's legislative capital. The Bengali Language Movement in 1952; the East Bengali legislative election, 1954; the 1958 Pakistani coup d'état; the six point movement of 1966; and the 1970 Pakistani general election resulted in the rise of Bengali nationalism and pro-democracy movements. The refusal of the Pakistani military junta to transfer power to the Awami League, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, led to the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. The Mukti Bahini, aided by India, waged a successful armed revolution. The conflict saw the Bangladesh genocide and the massacre of pro-independence Bengali civilians, including intellectuals. The new state of Bangladesh became the first constitutionally secular state in South Asia in 1972. Islam was declared the state religion in 1988. In 2010, the Bangladesh Supreme Court reaffirmed secular principles in the constitution.
A middle power in the Indo-Pacific, Bangladesh is home to the sixth-most spoken language in the world, the third-largest Muslim-majority population in the world, and the second-largest economy in South Asia. It maintains the third-largest military in the region and is the largest contributor of personnel to UN peacekeeping operations. Bangladesh is a unitary parliamentary republic based on the Westminster system. Bengalis make up 99% of the total population. The country consists of eight divisions, 64 districts and 495 subdistricts, as well as the world's largest mangrove forest. It hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world due to the Rohingya genocide. Bangladesh faces many challenges, particularly corruption, political instability, overpopulation and effects of climate change. Bangladesh has been a leader within the Climate Vulnerable Forum. It hosts the headquarters of BIMSTEC. It is a founding member of the SAARC, as well as a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Commonwealth of Nations.
