Dhaka

CAPITAL CITY OF Bangladesh: Dhaka
LANGUAGE OF Bangladesh: English
CURRENCY OF Bangladesh: Taka (BDT)
COMMENTS ABOUT Bangladesh:
Bangladesh is in South Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal to the south
Cities : Dhaka (capital), Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Jessore
Best Places : Bagerhat, Saint Martins Island, Sundarbans
Electricity : 220V/50Hz
Calling Code : +880
Time Zone : UTC +6
Bangladesh came into existence in 1971 when Bengali East Pakistan seceded from its union with West Pakistan. About a third of this extremely poor country floods annually during the monsoon rainy season, hampering economic development.
CLIMATE OF Bangladesh: tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)
RELIGION OF Bangladesh: Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998)
POPULATION OF Bangladesh: 141,340,476 (July 2004 est.)>
ECONOMY OVERVIEW OF Bangladesh: Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains a poor, overpopulated, and ill-governed nation. Although half of GDP is generated through the service sector, nearly two-thirds of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector, with rice as the single-most-important product. Major impediments to growth include frequent cyclones and floods, inefficient state-owned enterprises, inadequate port facilities, a rapidly growing labor force that cannot be absorbed by agriculture, delays in exploiting energy resources (natural gas), insufficient power supplies, and slow implementation of economic reforms. Economic reform is stalled in many instances by political infighting and corruption at all levels of government. Progress also has been blocked by opposition from the bureaucracy, public sector unions, and other vested interest groups. The BNP government, led by Prime Minister Khaleda ZIA, has the parliamentary strength to push through needed reforms, but the party's political will to do so has been lacking in key areas. One encouraging note: growth has been a steady 5% for the past several years.