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South Asia
Page last updated: July 25, 2023
The huge delta region formed at the confluence of the Ganges and Brahmaputra River systems - now referred to as Bangladesh - was a loosely incorporated outpost of various empires centered on the Gangetic plain for much of the first millennium A.D. Muslim conversions and settlement in the region began in the 10th century, primarily from Arab and Persian traders and preachers. Europeans established trading posts in the area in the 16th century. Eventually the area known as Bengal, primarily Hindu in the western section and mostly Muslim in the eastern half, became part of British India. Partition in 1947 resulted in an eastern wing of Pakistan in the Muslim-majority area, which became East Pakistan. Calls for greater autonomy and animosity between the eastern and western wings of Pakistan led to a Bengali independence movement. That movement, led by the Awami League (AL) and supported by India, won the independence war for Bangladesh in 1971.
The post-independence AL government faced daunting challenges and in 1975 it was overthrown by the military, triggering a series of military coups that resulted in a military-backed government and subsequent creation of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in 1978. That government also ended in a coup in 1981, followed by military-backed rule until democratic elections occurred in 1991. The BNP and AL have alternated in power since 1991, with the exception of a military-backed, emergency caretaker regime that suspended parliamentary elections planned for January 2007 in an effort to reform the political system and root out corruption. That government returned the country to fully democratic rule in December 2008 with the election of the AL and Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA. In January 2014, the incumbent AL won the national election by an overwhelming majority after the BNP boycotted the election, which extended HASINA's term as prime minister. In December 2018, HASINA secured a third consecutive term (fourth overall) with the AL coalition securing 96% of available seats, amid widespread claims of election irregularities. With the help of international development assistance, Bangladesh has reduced the poverty rate from over half of the population to less than a third, achieved Millennium Development Goals for maternal and child health, and made great progress in food security since independence. The economy has grown at an annual average of about 6% for the last two decades. In 2021 the UN approved a resolution to allow Bangladesh to officially graduate from least-developed-country (LDC) status in 2026, based on World Bank criteria.
Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India
24 00 N, 90 00 E
Asia
Total: 148,460 sq km
Land: 130,170 sq km
Water: 18,290 sq km
Slightly larger than Pennsylvania and New Jersey combined; slightly smaller than Iowa
Area comparison map:
Total: 4,413 km
Border countries (2): Burma 271 km; India 4,142 km
580 km
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 18 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: to the outer limits of the continental margin
Tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)
Mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast
Highest point: Mowdok Taung 1,060 m
Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation: 85 m
Natural gas, arable land, timber, coal
Agricultural land: 70.1% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 59% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 6.5% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 4.6% (2018 est.)
Forest: 11.1% (2018 est.)
Other: 18.8% (2018 est.)
81,270 sq km (2020)
Brahmaputra river mouth (shared with China [s] and India) - 3,969 km; Ganges river mouth (shared with India [s]) - 2,704 km
Note â [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Indian Ocean drainage: Brahmaputra (651,335 sq km), Ganges (1,016,124 sq km)
Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin
Droughts; cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during the summer monsoon season
Most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal
167,184,465 (2023 est.)
Noun: Bangladeshi(s)
Adjective: Bangladeshi
Bengali at least 98.9%, other indigenous ethnic groups 1.1% (2011 est.)
Note: Bangladesh's government recognizes 27 indigenous ethnic groups under the 2010 Cultural Institution for Small Anthropological Groups Act; other sources estimate there are about 75 ethnic groups; critics of the 2011 census claim that it underestimates the size of Bangladesh's ethnic population
Bangla 98.8% (official, also known as Bengali), other 1.2% (2011 est.)
Major-language sample(s):
āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āĻŦ āĻĢā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻāĻŦā§āĻ, āĻŽā§ā§āĻ˛āĻŋāĻ āĻ¤āĻĨā§āĻ¯ā§āĻ° āĻ āĻĒāĻ°āĻŋāĻšāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ¯ āĻā§āĻ¸ (Bangla)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Muslim 88.4%, other 11.6% (2020 est.)
0-14 years: 25.38% (male 21,587,699/female 20,846,378)
15-64 years: 67.09% (male 54,560,958/female 57,599,478)
65 years and over: 7.53% (2023 est.) (male 5,871,022/female 6,718,930)
2023 population pyramid:
Total dependency ratio: 47.7
Youth dependency ratio: 39.1
Elderly dependency ratio: 8.6
Potential support ratio: 11.6 (2021 est.)
Total: 27.9 years
Male: 27.1 years
Female: 28.6 years (2020 est.)
0.91% (2023 est.)
17.5 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
5.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
-2.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Urban population: 40.5% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.88% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
23.210 million DHAKA (capital), 5.380 million Chittagong, 955,000 Khulna, 962,000 Rajshahi, 964,000 Sylhet, 906,000 Bogra (2023)
At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
18.6 years (2017/18 est.)
Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49
123 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
Total: 29.58 deaths/1,000 live births
Male: 32.12 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 26.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Total population: 74.96 years
Male: 72.8 years
Female: 77.21 years (2023 est.)
2.08 children born/woman (2023 est.)
1.02 (2023 est.)
62.7% (2019)
Improved: urban: 99% of population
Rural: 98.7% of population
Total: 98.9% of population
Unimproved: urban: 1% of population
Rural: 1.3% of population
Total: 1.1% of population (2020 est.)
2.6% of GDP (2020)
0.67 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
0.8 beds/1,000 population (2016)
Improved: urban: 85.3% of population
Rural: 73.5% of population
Total: 78% of population
Unimproved: urban: 14.7% of population
Rural: 26.5% of population
Total: 22% of population (2020 est.)
Degree of risk: high (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high risks in some locations
Water contact diseases: leptospirosis
Animal contact diseases: rabies
3.6% (2016)
Total: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 34.7% (2020 est.)
Male: 52.2% (2020 est.)
Female: 17.1% (2020 est.)
22.6% (2019)
80.1% (2023 est.)
Women married by age 15: 15.5%
Women married by age 18: 51.4% (2019 est.)
2.1% of GDP (2021 est.)
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 74.9%
Male: 77.8%
Female: 72% (2020)
Total: 12 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 13 years (2020)
Total: 14.7%
Male: 12.5%
Female: 19.6% (2021 est.)
Many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; waterborne diseases prevalent in surface water; water pollution, especially of fishing areas, results from the use of commercial pesticides; ground water contaminated by naturally occurring arsenic; intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation and erosion; deforestation; destruction of wetlands; severe overpopulation with noise pollution
Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)
Agricultural land: 70.1% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 59% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 6.5% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 4.6% (2018 est.)
Forest: 11.1% (2018 est.)
Other: 18.8% (2018 est.)
Urban population: 40.5% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.88% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
Severe localized food insecurity: due to economic constraints and high prices of important food items - food insecurity is expected to remain fragile, given persisting economic constraints; domestic prices of wheat flour and palm oil, important food items, were at high levels in January 2023; the result of elevated international prices of energy, fuel and food, having been transmitted to the domestic markets (2023)
0.08% of GDP (2018 est.)
0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)
Particulate matter emissions: 58.33 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 84.25 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 59.3 megatons (2020 est.)
Municipal solid waste generated annually: 14,778,497 tons (2012 est.)
Brahmaputra river mouth (shared with China [s] and India) - 3,969 km; Ganges river mouth (shared with India [s]) - 2,704 km
Note â [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Indian Ocean drainage: Brahmaputra (651,335 sq km), Ganges (1,016,124 sq km)
Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin
Municipal: 3.6 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 770 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 31.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
1.23 trillion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh
Conventional short form: Bangladesh
Local long form: Gana Prajatantri Bangladesh
Local short form: Bangladesh
Former: East Bengal, East Pakistan
Etymology: the name - a compound of the Bengali words "Bangla" (Bengal) and "desh" (country) - means "Country of Bengal"
Parliamentary republic
Name: Dhaka
Geographic coordinates: 23 43 N, 90 24 E
Time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the origins of the name are unclear, but some sources state that the city's site was originally called "dhakka," meaning "watchtower," and that the area served as a watch-station for Bengal rulers
8 divisions; Barishal, Chattogram, Dhaka, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Sylhet
16 December 1971 (from Pakistan)
Independence Day, 26 March (1971); Victory Day, 16 December (1971); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of the Awami League's declaration of an independent Bangladesh, and 16 December (Victory Day) memorializes the military victory over Pakistan and the official creation of the state of Bangladesh
History: previous 1935, 1956, 1962 (preindependence); latest enacted 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended March 1982, restored November 1986
Amendments: proposed by the House of the Nation; approval requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the House membership and assent of the president of the republic; amended many times, last in 2018
Mixed legal system of mostly English common law and Islamic law
Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Bangladesh
Dual citizenship recognized: yes, but limited to select countries
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
18 years of age; universal
Chief of state: President Mohammad Shahabuddin CHUPPI (since 24 April 2023)
Head of government: Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA Wazed (since 6 January 2009)
Cabinet: Cabinet selected by the prime minister, appointed by the president
Elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the National Parliament for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 13 February 2023 (next to be held by 2028); the president appoints as prime minister the majority party leader in the National Parliament
Election results: 2023: President Abdul HAMID (AL) reelected by the National Parliament unopposed for a second term; Sheikh HASINA reappointed prime minister as leader of the majority AL party following parliamentary election in 2023
Description: unicameral House of the Nation or Jatiya Sangsad (350 seats; 300 members in single-seat territorial constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote; 50 members - reserved for women only - indirectly elected by the elected members by proportional representation vote using single transferable vote; all members serve 5-year terms)
Elections: last held on 30 December 2018 (next to be held in January 2024)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party as of February 2022 - AL 299, JP 27, BNP 7, other 10, independent 7; composition - men 277, women 73, percent of women 20.9%
Highest court(s): Supreme Court of Bangladesh (organized into the Appellate Division with 7 justices and the High Court Division with 99 justices)
Judge selection and term of office: chief justice and justices appointed by the president; justices serve until retirement at age 67
Subordinate courts: civil courts include: Assistant Judge's Court; Joint District Judge's Court; Additional District Judge's Court; District Judge's Court; criminal courts include: Court of Sessions; Court of Metropolitan Sessions; Metropolitan Magistrate Courts; Magistrate Court; special courts/tribunals
Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]
Bangladesh Jamaat-i-Islami or JIB [Shafiqur RAHMAN]
Bangladesh Nationalist Front or BNF [S. M. Abul Kalam AZAD]
Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Tarique RAHMAN, acting chairperson; Khaleda ZIA]
Bangladesh Tariqat Federation or BTF [Syed Nozibul Bashar MAIZBHANDARI]
Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Rowshan ERSHAD]
Jatiya Party or JP (Manju faction) [Anwar Hossain MANJU]
Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Oli AHMED]
National Socialist Party (Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal) or JSD [Hasanul Haque INU]
Workers Party or WP [Rashed Khan MENON]
ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CD, CICA (observer), CP, D-8, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to the hoist side of center; the red disk represents the rising sun and the sacrifice to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lush vegetation of Bangladesh
Bengal tiger, water lily; national colors: green, red
Name: "Amar Shonar Bangla" (My Golden Bengal)
Lyrics/music: Rabindranath TAGORE
Note: adopted 1971; Rabindranath TAGORE, a Nobel laureate, also wrote India's national anthem
Total World Heritage Sites: 3 (2 cultural, 1 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales: Bagerhat Historic Mosque (c); Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur (c); Sundarbans (n)
One of the fastest growing economies; significant poverty reduction; COVID-19 adversely impacted female labor force participation and undermined previously stable financial conditions; looking to diversify beyond clothing industry; fairly low government debt; new taxation law struggling to increase government revenues
$1.001 trillion (2021 est.)
$936.113 billion (2020 est.)
$904.912 billion (2019 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
6.94% (2021 est.)
3.45% (2020 est.)
7.88% (2019 est.)
$5,900 (2021 est.)
$5,600 (2020 est.)
$5,500 (2019 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
$329.545 billion (2020 est.)
5.55% (2021 est.)
5.69% (2020 est.)
5.59% (2019 est.)
Fitch rating: BB- (2014)
Moody's rating: Ba3 (2012)
Standard & Poors rating: BB- (2010)
Note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Agriculture: 14.2% (2017 est.)
Industry: 29.3% (2017 est.)
Services: 56.5% (2017 est.)
Comparison rankings: agriculture 68; industry 83; services 148
Household consumption: 68.7% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 6% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 30.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 15% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -20.3% (2017 est.)
Rice, potatoes, maize, sugar cane, milk, vegetables, onions, jute, mangoes/guavas, wheat
Jute, cotton, garments, paper, leather, fertilizer, iron and steel, cement, petroleum products, tobacco, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, tea, salt, sugar, edible oils, soap and detergent, fabricated metal products, electricity, natural gas
10.29% (2021 est.)
70.961 million (2021 est.)
Note: extensive migration of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia
Agriculture: 42.7%
Industry: 20.5%
Services: 36.9% (2016 est.)
5.23% (2021 est.)
5.41% (2020 est.)
4.44% (2019 est.)
Note: about 40% of the population is underemployed; many persons counted as employed work only a few hours a week and at low wages
Total: 14.7%
Male: 12.5%
Female: 19.6% (2021 est.)
24.3% (2016 est.)
32.4 (2016 est.)
On food: 53.5% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
On alcohol and tobacco: 1.9% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
Lowest 10%: 4%
Highest 10%: 27% (2010 est.)
Revenues: $30.023 billion (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $46.379 billion (2019 est.)
-3.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
33.1% of GDP (2017 est.)
33.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
7% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
1 July - 30 June
-$15.563 billion (2021 est.)
$1.193 billion (2020 est.)
-$2.949 billion (2019 est.)
$49.386 billion (2021 est.)
$38.476 billion (2020 est.)
$44.961 billion (2019 est.)
Note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
United States 15%, Germany 14%, United Kingdom 8%, Spain 7%, France 7% (2019)
Clothing, knitwear, leather footwear (2021)
$85.303 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$56.776 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$64.234 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
China 31%, India 15%, Singapore 5% (2019)
Refined petroleum, cotton, natural gas, scrap iron, wheat (2019)
$46.166 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$43.172 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$32.697 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
$50.26 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$41.85 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Taka (BDT) per US dollar -
85.084 (2021 est.)
84.871 (2020 est.)
84.454 (2019 est.)
83.466 (2018 est.)
80.438 (2017 est.)
Population without electricity: 11 million (2020)
Electrification - total population: 98.9% (2021)
Electrification - urban areas: 99.7% (2021)
Electrification - rural areas: 98.5% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 18.461 million kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 76,849,877,000 kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Imports: 6.786 billion kWh (2019 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 9.537 billion kWh (2019 est.)
Comparison rankings: installed generating capacity 51; consumption 39; exports 201; imports 34; transmission/distribution losses 35
Fossil fuels: 98.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Solar: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Hydroelectricity: 0.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Number of operational nuclear reactors: 0
Number of nuclear reactors under construction: 2 (2023)
Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 0GW
Percent of total electricity production: 0%
Percent of total energy produced: 0%
Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 0
Production: 1.016 million metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 9.345 million metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 8.329 million metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 293 million metric tons (2019 est.)
Total petroleum production: 13,500 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 122,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 21,600 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 28 million barrels (2021 est.)
26,280 bbl/day (2015 est.)
901 bbl/day (2015 est.)
81,570 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Production: 28,629,927,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Consumption: 31,268,968,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 2,639,041,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Proven reserves: 126.293 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
96.18 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 16.538 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 18.535 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 61.107 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
9.917 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
Total subscriptions: 587,476 (2021 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0 (2021 est.) less than 1
Total subscriptions: 181,021,227 (2021 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 107 (2021 est.)
General assessment: Bangladeshâs economic resurgence over the last decade took a battering in 2020 and 2021 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic; the country had been on track to move off the United Nationâs Least Developed Countries list by 2026, however the crisis may have pushed that back a few years; the telecommunications sector experienced a set of challenges, with mobile data usage exploding at the same time as many consumers were being forced to curb their spending in other areas; the demand on data grew so large and so rapidly that Bangladesh came close to running out of bandwidth; at the start of 2020, Bangladesh was consuming around 900Gb/s on average, well below the 2,642GB/s capacity of its submarine cables; this ballooned to over 2,300Gb/s during the pandemic; Bangladesh was looking forward to adding 7,200Gb/s capacity when the SEA-ME-WE-6 submarine cable goes into service in mid-2024, but the sudden upsurge in downloads is forcing state-run company Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited (BSCCL) to scramble to find alternatives before the countryâs internet supply is maxed out; the increased demand during the Covid-19 crisis also put pressure on the countryâs existing mobile networks, already under strain as a result of strong growth in the mobile broadband market coupled with significant untapped potential for mobile services in general across the country; this led to premium prices being paid at auction for spectrum in the 1800MHz and 2100MHz bands, most of which will be used to enhance and expand LTE services; a 5G spectrum auction had been anticipated for 2020, but low interest from the MNOs in going down that path when there are still so many areas waiting for LTE access means that 5G will likely be deferred until 2023 (2021)
Domestic: fixed-line teledensity remains less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has been increasing rapidly and now exceeds 107 per 100 persons; mobile subscriber growth is anticipated over the next five years to 2023 (2021)
International: country code - 880; landing points for the SeaMeWe-4 and SeaMeWe-5 fiber-optic submarine cable system that provides links to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 6; international radiotelephone communications and landline service to neighboring countries (2019)
State-owned Bangladesh Television (BTV) broadcasts throughout the country. Some channels, such as BTV World, operate via satellite. The government also owns a medium wave radio channel and some private FM radio broadcast news channels. Of the 41 Bangladesh approved TV stations, 26 are currently being used to broadcast. Of those, 23 operate under private management via cable distribution. Collectively, TV channels can reach more than 50 million people across the country.
.bd
Total: 66.3 million (2021 est.)
Percent of population: 39% (2021 est.)
Total: 10,052,819 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (2020 est.)
Number of registered air carriers: 6 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 30
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 5,984,155 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 63.82 million (2018) mt-km
S2
18 (2021)
16
Civil airports: 1
Military airports: 2
Joint use (civil-military) airports: 2
Other airports: 11
Note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the âtypicalâ length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
2
Note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
3 (2021)
2,950 km gas (2013)
Total: 2,460 km (2014)
Narrow gauge: 1,801 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge
Broad gauge: 659 km (2014) 1.676-m gauge
Total: 369,105 km (2018)
Paved: 110,311 km (2018)
Unpaved: 258,794 km (2018)
8,370 km (2011) (includes up to 3,060 km of main cargo routes; network reduced to 5,200 km in the dry season)
Total: 511
By type: bulk carrier 56, container ship 10, general cargo 150, oil tanker 152, other 143 (2022)
Major seaport(s): Chattogram (Chittagong)
Container port(s) (TEUs): Chattogram (Chittagong) (3,214,548) (2021)
River port(s): Mongla Port (Sela River)
Armed Forces of Bangladesh (aka Bangladesh Defense Force): Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Air Force
Ministry of Home Affairs: Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Bangladesh Coast Guard, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Ansars, Village Defense Party (VDP) (2023)
Note 1: the Armed Forces of Bangladesh are jointly administered by the Ministry of Defense (MOD) and the Armed Forces Division (AFD), both under the Prime Minister's Office; the AFD has ministerial status and parallel functions with MOD; the AFD is a joint coordinating headquarters for the three services and also functions as a joint command center during wartime; to coordinate policy, the prime minister and the president are advised by a six-member board, which includes the three service chiefs of staff, the principal staff officer of the AFD, and the military secretaries to the prime minister and president
Note 2: the RAB, Ansars, and VDP are paramilitary organizations for internal security; the RAB is a joint task force founded in 2004 and composed of members of the police, Army, Navy, Air Force, and Border Guards seconded to the RAB from their respective units; its mandate includes internal security, intelligence gathering related to criminal activities, and government-directed investigations
1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)
1.3% of GDP (2020)
1.4% of GDP (2019)
1.4% of GDP (2018)
Information varies; approximately 165,000 total active personnel (135,000 Army; 15,000 Navy; 15,000 Air Force) (2022)
Much of the military's inventory is comprised of Chinese- and Russian-origin equipment; in recent years, China has been the leading provider of arms to Bangladesh (2023)
16-21 years of age for voluntary military service; Bangladeshi nationality and 10th grade education required; officers: 17-21 years of age, Bangladeshi nationality, and 12th grade education required (2022)
1,375 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 1,625 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO; plus about 190 police); 120 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 1,100 Mali (MINUSMA; plus about 280 police); 1,600 South Sudan (UNMISS); 180 Sudan (UNISFA) (2022)
The militaryâs primary responsibility is external defense but it also has a domestic security role and has traditionally been a significant player in the countryâs politics, as well as its economy; the military has a long history of participating in UN peacekeeping missions, which has provided operational experience and a source of funding; it runs an international institute for the training of peacekeepers; the military also conducts multinational and bilateral exercises with foreign partners, particularly India; it has commercial business interests in such areas as banking, food, hotels, manufacturing, real estate, and shipbuilding, and manages government infrastructure and construction projects
The Army is the dominant service and its primary combat forces are approximately 10 infantry divisions, complemented by several independent brigades and regiments of armor, artillery, and commandos; it maintains a large presence in the Chittagong Hills area where it conducted counterinsurgency operations against tribal guerrillas from the 1970s until the late 1990s; the Navy conducts both coastal and blue water operations and participates in UN and humanitarian missions and multinational exercises; its principal combat ships are a mix of approximately 15 frigates, corvettes, and large patrol ships, as well as a few attack submarines; the Air Force has about 50 mostly Chinese- and Russian-made combat aircraft organized into several squadrons (2023)
The International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial waters of Bangladesh remain a risk for armed robbery against ships; there were seven attacks reported in 2022 as opposed to none in 2021
Terrorist group(s): Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami/Bangladesh; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in Bangladesh (ISB); al-Qa'ida; al-Qa'ida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
Bangladesh-Burma: Burmese border authorities are constructing a 200 km (124 mi) wire fence designed to deter illegal cross-border transit and tensions from the military build-up along border.
Bangladesh-India: Bangladesh referred its maritime boundary claims with Burma and India to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea; Indian Prime Minister Singh's September 2011 visit to Bangladesh resulted in the signing of a Protocol to the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh, which had called for the settlement of longstanding boundary disputes over un-demarcated areas and the exchange of territorial enclaves, but which had never been implemented.
Refugees (country of origin): 961,175 (Burma) (2023)
IDPs: 427,000 (conflict, development, human rights violations, religious persecution, natural disasters) (2021)
Stateless persons: 929,606 (2022)
Transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries; does not manufacture precursor chemicals with the exception of sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, and toluene