Bangladesh

At a glance Land People Economy Achievements and challenges Links with Australia   Country at a glance Did you know? The red sun of freedom on the flag represents the bloodshed to achieve independence and the green background symbolizes the lush countryside and the traditional colour of Islam. Region South Asia Population 156, 050, 883 million (July 2009 estimate) Land Geography: flat alluvial plains, hilly in south east Climate: tropical monsoon People Religion: Muslim 83%, Hindu 16% Language: Official: Bangla or Bengali; English and various tribal dialects Economy GDP per person (PPP): $1,500 (2008 estimate) GDP by sector: Agriculture: 19.1%, Industry: 28.6%, Services: 52.3%   Government Parliamentary democracy Land Geography Bangladesh covers an area of 144,000 square kilometres (which is about two-thirds the size of Victoria 227,416 square kilometres). It is mostly flat alluvial plains, criss-crossed by three main river systems, Padma (the Ganges), Jamuna (the Brahmaputra) and Meghna flowing down from the Himalayas into the Bay of Bengal making the largest delta in the world. The Chittagong Hills Tract in southeast is the high region and includes Keokradong the highest peak of 1200 metres. Climate Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon climate marked by three seasons: summer from March to June, monsoon or rainy season from July to October and dry winter from November to February. High temperatures and high humidity mark the climate. Massive cyclones originating in the Bay of Bengal occur frequently at the beginning of summer and end of the monsoon season, during March - April and October - November. Environment Over 90% of the country is composed of alluvial plains less than 10 metres above sea level making it extremely flood-prone. Building can be quickly washed away as rivers move as much as one kilometre. There is about 10% forest cover consisting mainly of broadleaf, evergreen species in the hill regions and deciduous varieties such as acacia and banyan in the drier, plain areas. The Royal Bengal Tiger is found in Sundarbans in the west and elephants in Chittagong Hill Tracts. Black bears, langurs, gibbons, otters, mongooses, ox, bison and deer are commonly found. Bangladesh is home to more than 600 bird species including the kingfishers and fishing eagles. People Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries with 926.2 persons per square kilometre. About 27% of the population lives in urban areas. Dhaka, the capital city, has a population of about 13,485 million people. Other important cities are Chittagong (4.187 million) and Khulna (1.466million). Tribal groups live mainly in the hill areas. People Culture and ethnicity Culturally and ethnically Bangladesh has a very homogenous population. About 98% of the population is Bengali. The Bihari are a small Urdu speaking Muslim community and the remaining 1% are tribal groups with their own dialects, dress and customs. The basic social unit in rural areas is the extended household (bari), which have a shared kitchen (chulha). Women’s role in the society is subordinate to men and they generally have a limited access to education, formal jobs and markets despite producing most of the food. Bangladesh has a rich cultural heritage with literature, poetry and music all playing important roles in society. Weaving and intricate needlework have a long history in traditional Bengali culture. Health Health problems in Bangladesh stem from malnutrition and inadequate safe drinking water and sewage disposal. Ground water is often contaminated by naturally occurring arsenic and water pollution as a result of commercial pesticides is a problem in fishing areas. Diseases like cholera, diphtheria, dysentery, measles, malaria and pneumonia cause widespread illness and many young children die from these preventable illnesses. An immunisation program initiated by the Government has eradicated smallpox and contained cholera and population control programs have reduced family size to about three children. The life expectancy at birth is 60.25 years. Only about 12,000 people or 0.1% of the population are living with HIV/AIDS. Religion and beliefs The majority population (83%) of Bangladesh is Muslim, predominantly Sunni. Sufism, a mystical form of Islam, is also popular. Hindus are 16% of the population and there are small groups of Buddhists and Christians. The tribal groups are generally animist, believing in spirits. Food and shelter Rice is the staple food of Bangladesh. It is accompanied with vegetables, lentils (dhal) and a little beef, mutton, chicken or fish cooked in a spicy sauce. Mustard seed and soy oils are important ingredients for curries. Bangladesh sweets are mostly milk based such as misthidohi (sweetened yoghurt). Traditionally, houses are built with natural building materials: bamboo, mud and straw. Economy Wealth and poverty Most people are subsistence farmers but with frequent flooding and limited market development nearly one half of the population lives under the poverty line. Inequality in distribution of income and consumption is high. There are 18 landline and 73 mobile phones available to every thousand people. In 2005 Bangladesh received about 2.2% of its GDP in foreign aid. Education and work The government provides free primary education for five years with special incentives for girls. Less than half the adult population can read and there is a significant difference between males (54%) and females (41%), although female literacy is improving. The government also supports a number of madrasas, religious schools. Over 60% of workforce is engaged in agriculture, 11% in industries and 26% in services. There is a rapidly growing labour force that cannot be absorbed by agriculture and industry development is restricted by limited power generation and slow economic reforms. Many people work overseas, primarily in the Middle East and East Asia sending home to Bangladesh an estimated $US655.98 million in 2008. Industries and products Major industries are tea processing, cotton textiles, jute, garments, paper newsprint, cement, chemical fertilizer, light engineering and sugar. The country has reserves of coal, oil and natural gas, and minerals such as limestone and uranium. With a large number of rivers the country also has a good potential for hydroelectric power generation. Bangladesh with its lush, beautiful landscape and a rich history also offers a variety of attractions for visitors but tourism is limited. Trade Bangladesh imports cost more than its exports earn. In 2008 Bangladesh exports were worth $14 billion while imports were at $20.2 billion. Garments, jute and jute goods, leather, frozen fish and seafood are the main items of export. The main export destinations are USA, Germany, UK, France and Belgium. The key imports are machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs, petroleum products and cement. The main import partners are China, India, Kuwait, Singapore and Hong Kong. Achievements and challenges Flooding and tropical cyclones are the major natural disasters faced by Bangladesh. Deforestation is threatening the mangrove forests of Sundarban which are home to the famous Royal Bengal Tigers. The government has adopted the National Environmental Policy. Since independence in 1971 Bangladesh has experienced ongoing political unrest. However, elections held in December 2008 were considered to be free and fair and voter participation was the highest in the country’s history at 80%. Links with Australia Australia was the first country from the developed world to recognise Bangladesh's independence in 1971. The two countries have experienced good relations since then. Major Australian export items are fresh vegetables, ferrous waste and scrap, wheat, milk and cream and account for AUS$256 million. Imports from Bangladesh costing AUS$54 million consist of clothing, fertilizers, woven fabrics and textile manufactures. The Cricket Boards of the two countries have a range of cooperative activities, including young Bangladeshi players studying at the Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy in Adelaide. According to the 2006 census there are 16,100 Bangladeshi born people living in Australia. Over half of this number arrived in Australia between 2001 and 2006. Bangladesh has been a major recipient of aid from Australia since the early 1970s. The aid is mainly directed towards primary education, basic health care and poverty alleviation. Main sources: https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html http://hdr.undp.org/ http://www.dfat.gov.au/

Mohammad Aiyub Ali with his brightly decorated rickshaw that he was able to buy thanks to the AusAID funded community development project.