Bangladesh country profile

Map of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is one among the world’s so much densely populated nations, with its other folks stuffed into a delta of rivers that empties into the Bay of Bengal.

Poverty is deep and widespread, but Bangladesh has in latest years diminished population enlargement and progressed health and education.

Formerly East Pakistan, Bangladesh got here into being best in 1971, while the 2 parts of Pakistan split after a sour conflict which drew in neighbouring India.

Bangladesh spent 15 years beneath army rule and, even supposing democracy was once restored in 1990, the political scene is still volatile.

Islamist extremism has been emerging in the on a regular basis tolerant country.

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Sheikh Hasina began a third time period as high minister in January 2014 after her Awami League won elections boycotted through the opposition amid an ongoing political crisis.

Politics has lengthy been ruled via bitter rivalry among women: Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Birthday Party.

Both had been prime minister at quite a lot of instances seeing that 1991.

Their hostility stems partly from variations over who performed a greater position within the u . s .’s independence struggle – Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, or Khaleda Zia’s husband, Normal Ziaur Rahman.

They sank their variations when army ruler Hossain Mohammad Ershad was once in power from 1982 to 1990, but they were uncompromising rivals ever considering that.

MEDIA

Symbol copyright Getty Pictures Symbol caption Media outlets are inclined to be polarised, aligning themselves with one or other of the principle political factions.

4 bloggers who criticised religious fundamentalism had been murdered in 2015. one in every of them was reportedly on a success-checklist of bloggers printed through a Bangladeshi Islamist team on the end of 2014.

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TIMELINE

Some key dates in the historical past of Bangladesh:

1947 – British colonial rule over India ends. A largely Muslim state comprising East and West Pakistan is established, each side of India. the 2 provinces are separated from each other by greater than 1,500 km of Indian territory.

1971 – Independence after a 9-month conflict, with India backing the Bengali nationalists towards Pakistan.

1973 – First parliamentary elections give the Awami League a landslide victory.

1975 – a military coup sees founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his members of the family killed, placing an end to civilian rule.

1979 – 2D parliamentary elections brings former military leader Ziaur Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Birthday Celebration (BNP) to power.

1981 – Ziaur Rahman assassinated all through abortive military coup.

1982 – Common Ershad assumes energy in military coup. He suspends the charter and political parties.

1991 – Fifth parliamentary elections, brings the BNP beneath Zia’s widow, Khaleda Zia, again to energy. the country returns to a parliamentary device of government.

Symbol copyright Getty Photographs Image caption Bangladesh emerged from a war among India and Pakistan in 1971 Learn complete timeline