157-514: The Biskhali is a river of Bangladesh , and a continuation of Sugandha River. The 105 km (65 mi) long Biskhali empties into the Bay of Bengal. 21°59′N 90°00′E / 21.983°N 90.000°E / 21.983; 90.000 This article related to a river in Bangladesh is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Bangladesh Bangladesh , officially
314-669: A Status of Forces Agreement , an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement and a General Security of Military Information Agreement. In 2019, Bangladesh ratified the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons . Since the colonial period, Bangladesh has had a prominent civil society . There are various special interest groups, including non-governmental organisations , human rights organisations, professional associations, chambers of commerce , employers' associations, and trade unions. The National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh
471-424: A left-wing insurgency . To quell the insurgency, he formed Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini , a special paramilitary force similar to Gestapo , which was involved in various human rights abuses , massacres , enforced disappearances , extrajudicial killings and rapes . Mujib's five-year regime was the only socialist period in Bangladesh's history, which was marked with huge economic mismanagement and failure, leading to
628-500: A presidential republic . Mujib was one of the key leaders to rally opposition to president Ayub Khan who enacted a system of electoral colleges to elect the country's parliament and president under a system known as "Basic Democracy". Universal suffrage was curtailed as part of the Basic Democracy scheme. Mujib supported opposition candidate Fatima Jinnah against Ayub Khan in the 1965 presidential election . Fatima Jinnah,
785-428: A child, Mujib was described as "compassionate and very energetic". Either playing or roaming around. Feeding birds, monkeys and dogs. In his autobiography, Mujib mentions, "I used to play football , volleyball and field hockey . Although I was not a very good player but still had a good position in the school team. At this time I was not interested in politics." Once the farmers in his village lost their crops and faced
942-564: A critical role in addressing regional issues, including the Rohingya refugee crisis , which has strained its resources and highlighted its humanitarian commitments. The poverty rate went down from 80% in 1971 to 44% in 1991 to 13% in 2021. Bangladesh emerged as the second-largest economy in South Asia, surpassing the per capita income levels of both India and Pakistan. As part of the green transition , Bangladesh's industrial sector emerged as
1099-546: A declaration at a public meeting, held to observe the death anniversary of his mentor Suhrawardy, that henceforth East Pakistan would be called "Bangladesh": There was a time when all efforts were made to erase the word "Bangla" from this land and its map. The existence of the word "Bangla" was found nowhere except in the term Bay of Bengal. I on behalf of Pakistan announce today that this land will be called "Bangladesh" instead of East Pakistan. Mujib's fiery rhetoric ignited Bengali nationalism and pro-independence aspirations among
1256-590: A federal language was successfully implemented in the 1956 constitution , which declared Urdu, Bengali and English as national languages. East Bengal, however, was renamed East Pakistan. In 1957, Mujib visited the People's Republic of China. In 1958, he toured the United States as part of the State Department 's International Visitor Leadership Program . Mujib resigned from the provincial cabinet to work full time for
1413-534: A habitat for many aquatic plants. Water lilies and lotuses grow vividly during the monsoon season. The country has 50 wildlife sanctuaries . Bangladesh is home to most of the Sundarbans , the world's largest mangrove forest , covering an area of 6,000 square kilometres (2,300 sq mi) in the southwest littoral region. It is divided into three protected sanctuaries: the South , East , and West zones. The forest
1570-465: A history and tradition of its own. You can change it only after the people have been consulted. If you want to change, we have to go back to Bengal and ask them whether they are ready to accept it. So far as the question of one unit is concerned it can be incorporated in the constitution. Why do you want it to be taken up right now? What about the state language, Bengali? We are prepared to consider one unit with all these things. So, I appeal to my friends on
1727-587: A jail in West Pakistan . After the independence of Bangladesh, Mujib returned to Bangladesh in January 1972 as the leader of a war-devastated country. In the following years, he played an important role in rebuilding Bangladesh, constructing a secular constitution for the country, transforming Pakistani era state apparatus, bureaucracy, armed forces, and judiciary into an independent state, initiating first general election and normalizing diplomatic ties with most of
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#17329048477161884-421: A job you will find a large number of people from East Bengal coming forward. There are such a large number of M.As. and B. As....... (Interruptions)....... Sir, my time has been spoiled. Mujib later became provincial minister of commerce and industries in the cabinet of Ataur Rahman Khan . These portfolios allowed Mujib to consolidate his popularity among the working class. The Awami League's demand for Bengali as
2041-511: A key role in organising protests by issuing instructions from jail to students and protestors. He played a key role in declaring 21 February 1952 as a strike day. Mujib went on hunger strike from 14 February 1952 in the prelude to the strike day. His own hunger strike lasted 13 days. On 26 February, he was released from jail amid the public outrage over police killings of protestors on 21 February, including Salam , Rafiq , Barkat , and Jabbar . The League teamed up with other parties like
2198-506: A leader in building green factories, with the country having the largest number of certified green factories in the world in 2023. In January 2024, Awami League led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina secured a fourth straight term in Bangladesh's general election . Following nationwide protests against the Awami League government, on 5 August 2024, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign and flee to India. An interim government
2355-600: A long sea coastline, numerous rivers and tributaries , lakes, wetlands , evergreen forests, semi evergreen forests, hill forests, moist deciduous forests , freshwater swamp forests and flat land with tall grass. The Bangladesh Plain is famous for its fertile alluvial soil which supports extensive cultivation. The country is dominated by lush vegetation, with villages often buried in groves of mango , jackfruit , bamboo , betel nut , coconut , and date palm . The country has up to 6000 species of plant life, including 5000 flowering plants. Water bodies and wetland systems provide
2512-479: A military court opened. During his imprisonment between 1967 and 1969, Mujib began to write his autobiography. In what is widely known as the Agartala Conspiracy Case , Mujib and 34 Bengali military officers were accused by the government of colluding with Indian government agents in a scheme to divide Pakistan and threaten its unity, order and national security. The plot was alleged to have been planned in
2669-449: A nationwide student strike on 17 March 1948. In early January 1950, the Awami League held an anti-famine rally in Dhaka during the visit of Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan . Mujib was arrested for instigating the protests. On 26 January 1952, Pakistan's then Bengali Prime Minister Khawaja Nazimuddin reiterated that Urdu will be the only state language. Despite his imprisonment, Mujib played
2826-578: A near-famine situation, which had a great impact on Mujib. During these days, he usually used to distribute rice among the poor farmers and students from his own or collecting from others. Mujib was enrolled in Gimadanga Primary School in 1927. In 1929, he entered the third grade of Gopalganj Public School. His parents transferred him to Madaripur Islamia High School after two years. Mujib withdrew from school in 1934 to undergo eye surgery. He returned to formal education after four years owing to
2983-454: A parliamentary act was passed to reserve three seats (out of 12) in every union for female candidates. Bangladesh is the second largest economy in South Asia after India. The country has outpaced India and Pakistan in terms of per capita income. According to the World Bank , "when the newly independent country of Bangladesh was born on December 16, 1971, it was the second poorest country in
3140-511: A precedent for the emergence of Bangladesh. The All-India Muslim League was founded in Dhaka in 1906. The Lahore Resolution in 1940 was supported by A. K. Fazlul Huq , the first Prime Minister of Bengal . The present-day territorial boundary was established with the announcement of the Radcliffe Line . In 1947, East Bengal became the most populous province in the Dominion of Pakistan and
3297-465: A smaller budget allocation than West Pakistan. The 1965 war between India and Pakistan ended in stalemate. The Tashkent Declaration was domestically seen as giving away Pakistan's gains to India. Ayub Khan's foreign minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto resigned from the government, formed the Pakistan Peoples Party , and exploited public discontent against the regime. In 1965, Pakistan banned
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#17329048477163454-404: A stronghold of pre-Islamic kingdoms. The Muslim conquest after 1204 led to the sultanate and Mughal periods, during which an independent Bengal Sultanate and wealthy Mughal Bengal transformed the region into an important centre of regional affairs, trade, and diplomacy. The Battle of Plassey in 1757 marked the beginning of British rule. The creation of Eastern Bengal and Assam in 1905 set
3611-603: A student activist in the province of Bengal during the final years of the British Raj . He was a member of the All India Muslim League . He supported Muslim nationalism and had a Pakistani establishmentalist outlook in his early political career. In 1949, he was part of a liberal, secular and left-wing faction which later became the Awami League . In the 1950s, he was elected to Pakistan's parliament where he defended
3768-677: A successful armed revolution ; the conflict saw the Bangladeshi genocide . After the war, Sheikh Mujib became the leader of the country. Mujib's assassination in 1975 led to the rise of Ziaur Rahman , who himself was assassinated in 1981. The 1980s was dominated by the presidency of H M Ershad . After 1990, the Battle of the Begums between Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina defined Bangladesh's politics for next 35 years. In 2024, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took power after
3925-596: Is Bangladesh's largest economic aid provider, and the two maintain a strategic and economic partnership . Political relations with Middle Eastern countries are robust. Bangladesh receives 59% of its remittances from the Middle East, despite poor working conditions affecting over four million Bangladeshi workers . Bangladesh plays a major role in global climate diplomacy as a leader of the Climate Vulnerable Forum . The Bangladesh Armed Forces have inherited
4082-465: Is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The northeastern Sylhet region is home to haor wetlands, a unique ecosystem. It also includes tropical and subtropical coniferous forests , a freshwater swamp forest , and mixed deciduous forests. The southeastern Chittagong region covers evergreen and semi-evergreen hilly jungles. Central Bangladesh includes the plainland Sal forest running along with the districts of Gazipur, Tangail , and Mymensingh . St. Martin's Island
4239-584: Is being developed for production in the country. Biogas is being used to produce organic fertilizer. Bangladesh continues to have huge untapped reserves of natural gas, particularly in its maritime territory. A lack of exploration and decreasing proven reserves have forced Bangladesh to import LNG from abroad. Gas shortages were further exasperated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine . While government-owned companies in Bangladesh generate nearly half of Bangladesh's electricity, privately owned companies like
4396-571: Is derived from the Sanskrit word deśha , which means "land" or "country". Hence, the name Bangladesh means "Land of Bengal" or "Country of Bengal". The history of Bangladesh dates back over four millennia to the Chalcolithic period. The region's early history was characterized by a succession of Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms and empires that fought for control over the Bengal region . Islam arrived in
4553-418: Is divided into several unions , with each union consisting of multiple villages. In the metropolitan areas, police stations are divided into wards, further divided into mahallas . There are no elected officials at the divisional or district levels, and the administration is composed only of government officials. Direct elections are held in each union (or ward) for a chairperson and several members. In 1997,
4710-510: Is estimated that about 10% of its land would be flooded if the sea level were to rise by 1 m (3.3 ft). 12% of the country is covered by hill systems. The country's haor wetlands are of significance to global environmental science. The highest point in Bangladesh is the Saka Haphong , located near the border with Myanmar, with an elevation of 1,064 m (3,491 ft). Previously, either Keokradong or Tazing Dong were considered
4867-699: Is home to the Asian elephant , hoolock gibbon , Asian black bear and oriental pied hornbill . The chital deer are widely seen in southwestern woodlands. Other animals include the black giant squirrel , capped langur , Bengal fox , sambar deer , jungle cat , king cobra , wild boar , mongooses , pangolins , pythons and water monitors . Bangladesh has one of the largest populations of Irrawaddy and Ganges dolphins . The country has numerous species of amphibians (53), reptiles (139), marine reptiles (19) and marine mammals (5). It also has 628 species of birds . Several animals became extinct in Bangladesh during
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5024-498: Is often strained by water politics of the Ganges and the Teesta , and the border killings of Bangladeshi civilians . Post-independent Bangladesh has continued to have a problematic relationship with Pakistan, mainly due to its denial of the 1971 Bangladesh genocide. It maintains a warm relationship with China, which is its largest trading partner, and the largest arms supplier. Japan
5181-493: Is overseen by a cabinet headed by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh . The tenure of a parliamentary government is five years. The Bangladesh Civil Service assists the cabinet in running the government. Recruitment for the civil service is based on a public examination. In theory, the civil service should be a meritocracy. But a disputed quota system coupled with politicisation and preference for seniority have allegedly affected
5338-451: Is part of the historic and ethnolinguistic region of Bengal , which was divided during the Partition of British India in 1947 as the eastern enclave of the Dominion of Pakistan . The country came into existence in 1971 after declaring independence from Pakistan at the start of a bloody war . The country has a Bengali Muslim majority. Ancient Bengal was known as Gangaridai and was
5495-858: Is presided over by the Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad , who is second in line to the president as per the constitution. Bangladesh is considered a middle power in global politics . It plays an important role in the geopolitical affairs of the Indo-Pacific , due to its strategic location between South and Southeast Asia. Bangladesh joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1972 and the United Nations in 1974. It relies on multilateral diplomacy on issues like climate change, nuclear nonproliferation, trade policy and non-traditional security issues. Bangladesh pioneered
5652-486: Is the unicameral parliament. It has 350 members of parliament (MPs), including 300 MPs elected on the first past the post system and 50 MPs appointed to reserved seats for women's empowerment . Article 70 of the Constitution of Bangladesh forbids MPs from voting against their party. However, several laws proposed independently by MPs have been transformed into legislation, including the anti-torture law. The parliament
5809-471: Is the only coral reef in the country. Bangladesh has an abundance of wildlife in its forests, marshes, woodlands, and hills. The vast majority of animals dwell within a habitat of 150,000 square kilometres (58,000 sq mi). The Bengal tiger , clouded leopard , saltwater crocodile , black panther and fishing cat are among the chief predators in the Sundarbans. Northern and eastern Bangladesh
5966-548: Is threatened by this growth. The Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act was enacted in 1995. The government has designated several regions as Ecologically Critical Areas , including wetlands, forests, and rivers. The Sundarbans tiger project and the Bangladesh Bear Project are among the key initiatives to strengthen conservation. It ratified the Rio Convention on Biological Diversity on 3 May 1994. As of 2014 ,
6123-421: Is vital to ensuring stability and security in northeast India . Bangladesh's strategic importance in the eastern subcontinent hinges on its proximity to China, its frontier with Burma, the separation of mainland and northeast India, and its maritime territory in the Bay of Bengal. In 2002, Bangladesh and China signed a Defence Cooperation Agreement. The United States has pursued negotiations with Bangladesh on
6280-585: The six point movement – recognised as the turning point towards East and West Pakistan becoming two nations. Mujib insisted on a federal democracy and obtained broad support from the Bengali population. In 1966, Mujib was elected as President of the Awami League. Tajuddin Ahmad succeeded him as General Secretary. Mujib was arrested by the Pakistan Army and after two years in jail, an official sedition trial in
6437-580: The Awami League was the dominant party. Between 1975 and 1991, the country was placed under martial law twice (1975-1979 and 1982-1986) while a semi-presidential system existed in which the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and National Party (JP) were dominant. The BNP and National Party promoted gradual economic liberalization and free market reforms, while Islam was declared the state religion in 1988. The restoration of parliamentary democracy in 1991 saw power alternate between
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6594-685: The Battle of Plassey in 1757, for which he is honoured as Bangabandhu ( lit. ' Friend of Bengal ' ). He was voted as the Greatest Bengali of all time in the 2004 BBC opinion poll. His 7 March speech in 1971 is recognized by UNESCO for its historic value, and was listed in the Memory of the World Register . Many of his diaries and travelogues were published many years after his death and have been translated into several languages. Mujib
6751-533: The Bay of Bengal . To the north, it is separated from Bhutan and Nepal by the Siliguri Corridor , and from China by the mountainous Indian state of Sikkim . Dhaka , the capital and largest city , is the nation's political, financial, and cultural centre. Chittagong is the second-largest city and the busiest port. The official language is Bengali , with Bangladeshi English also used in government. Bangladesh
6908-721: The Constituent Assembly of Pakistan to declare both Urdu and Bengali as national languages, in addition to English. During a conference in Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall , Sheikh Mujib was instrumental in establishing the All-Party State Language Action Committee. He was repeatedly arrested during the movement. When he was released from jail in 1948, he was greeted by a rally of the State Language Struggle Committee . Mujib announced
7065-461: The Indian subcontinent . Bengalis increasingly referred to him as Bangabandhu . In March 1969, Ayub Khan resigned and Yahya Khan became president. Prior to the scheduled general election for 1970, one of the most powerful cyclones on record devastated East Pakistan, leaving half a million people dead and millions displaced. President Yahya Khan, who was flying back from China after the cyclone, viewed
7222-712: The Krishak Praja Party of A. K. Fazlul Huq to form the United Front coalition. During the East Bengali legislative election, 1954 , Mujib was elected to public office for the first time. He became a member of the East Bengal Legislative Assembly . This was the first election in East Bengal since the partition of India in 1947. The Awami League-led United Front secured a landslide victory of 223 seats in
7379-507: The Mughal era . His lineage is; Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, son of Sheikh Lutfar Rahman, son of Sheikh Abdul Hamid, son of Sheikh Mohammad Zakir, son of Sheikh Ekramullah, son of Sheikh Borhanuddin, son of Sheikh Jan Mahmud, son of Sheikh Zahiruddin, son of Sheikh Abdul Awal Darwish. Mujib was the eldest son and third child in the family of four daughters (Fatima, Achia, Helen, Laili) and two sons (Mujib, Naser ). His parents nicknamed him "Khoka". As
7536-548: The National Awami Party , though Mujib remained loyal to Suhrawardy. Mujib joined the Alpha Insurance Company in 1960. He continued to work in the insurance industry for many years. The 1958 Pakistani military coup ended Pakistan's first era of parliamentary democracy as Muhammad Ayub Khan , the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Army , overthrew the Bengali president Iskandar Ali Mirza and abolished
7693-504: The People's Republic of Bangladesh , is a country in South Asia . It is the eighth-most populous country in the world and seventh most densely populated with a population of 173,562,364 in an area of 148,460 square kilometres (57,320 sq mi). Bangladesh shares land borders with India to the north, west, and east, and Myanmar to the southeast. To the south, it has a coastline along
7850-562: The Rose Garden mansion on K. M. Das Lane in Old Dhaka , which was organized by Yar Mohammad Khan and Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani . Sheikh Mujib was elected as one of its joint secretaries. The term "Muslim" was later dropped from the party's nomenclature. The Awami League sought to represent both Muslims and Pakistan's religious minorities, including Bengali Hindus and Pakistani Christians . Hence, it dropped "Muslim" from its name to appeal to
8007-482: The Westminster system . Bengalis make up almost 99% of the population. The country consists of eight divisions , 64 districts , and 495 subdistricts , and includes the world's largest mangrove forest . Bangladesh has one of the largest refugee populations in the world due to the Rohingya genocide in neighboring Myanmar. Bangladesh faces challenges like corruption , political instability , overpopulation , and
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#17329048477168164-582: The effects of climate change . Bangladesh has twice chaired the Climate Vulnerable Forum and hosts the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) headquarters. It is a founding member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Commonwealth of Nations . The etymology of Bangladesh ("Bengali country") can be traced to
8321-409: The fall of Sheikh Hasina . A middle power in the Indo-Pacific , Bangladesh is home to the fifth-most spoken native language , the third-largest Muslim-majority population , and the second-largest economy in South Asia. It maintains the third-largest military in the region and is the largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations. Bangladesh is a unitary parliamentary republic based on
8478-419: The garments industry . Other major industries include shipbuilding , pharmaceuticals , steel , ceramics , electronics , and leather goods . Muhammad Aziz Khan became the first person from Bangladesh to be listed as a billionaire by Forbes . Since 2009, Bangladesh has embarked on a series of megaprojects . For instance, the 6.15 km long Padma Bridge was built for US$ 3.86 billion. The bridge
8635-399: The latter killing approximately 140,000 people. In September 1998, Bangladesh saw the most severe flooding in modern history, after which two-thirds of the country went underwater, along with a death toll of 1,000. As a result of various international and national level initiatives in disaster risk reduction, the human toll and economic damage from floods and cyclones have come down over
8792-507: The partition of Bengal between India and Pakistan during the Partition of India in August 1947, when the region became East Pakistan as part of the newly formed State of Pakistan following the end of the British rule in the region . The Proclamation of Bangladeshi Independence on 26 March 1971 by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman led to the nine-month-long Bangladesh Liberation War , which culminated in
8949-561: The 1956 constitution. Many politicians were imprisoned and disqualified from holding public office, including Mujib's mentor Suhrawardy. A new constitution was introduced by Ayub Khan which curtailed universal suffrage and empowered electoral colleges to elect the country's parliament. Following Suhrawardy's death in 1963, Mujib became General Secretary of the All Pakistan Awami League with Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan as its titular president. The 1962 constitution introduced
9106-467: The 237 seats of the provincial assembly. Mujib himself won by a margin of 13,000 votes against his Muslim League rival Wahiduzzaman in Gopalganj. A. K. Fazlul Huq became Chief Minister and inducted Mujib into his cabinet. Mujib's initial portfolios were agriculture and forestry. After taking oath on 15 May 1954, Chief Minister Huq travelled with ministers to India and West Pakistan . The coalition government
9263-758: The 8th century and gradually became dominant from the early 13th century with the conquests led by Bakhtiyar Khalji in 1204 and the activities of Sunni missionaries like Shah Jalal . Muslim rulers promoted the spread of Islam by building mosques across the region. In 1338 Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah established independent sultanate in Bengal, establishing the capital at Sonargaon and founded an individual currency. The Bengal Sultanate expanded under rulers like Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah , leading to economic prosperity and military dominance, with Bengal being referred to by Europeans as
9420-525: The Awami League and BNP. In recent decades, Bangladesh has achieved significant economic growth, emerging as one of the world's fastest-growing economies, driven by its garment industry , remittances, and infrastructure development. However, it continues to grapple with political instability, human rights issues, and the impact of climate change. The return of the Awami League to power on 6 January 2009 under Sheikh Hasina 's leadership saw economic progress but criticisms of authoritarianism . Bangladesh has played
9577-456: The Awami League as a party organiser. Between 1956 and 1957, Mujib's mentor Suhrawardy served as the 5th Prime Minister of Pakistan . Suhrawardy strengthened Pakistan's relations with the United States and China. Suhrawardy was a strong supporter of Pakistan's membership in SEATO and CENTO . Suhrawardy's pro-Western foreign policy caused Maulana Bhashani to break away from the Awami League to form
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#17329048477169734-563: The Awami League to end the strike of the chefs at the InterContinental Hotel. Bhutto feared civil war, and sent a secret message to Mujib and his inner circle to arrange a meeting with them. Mubashir Hassan met with Mujib and persuaded him to form a coalition government with Bhutto. They decided that Bhutto would serve as president, with Mujib as Prime Minister. These developments took place secretly and no Pakistan Armed Forces personnel were kept informed. Meanwhile, Bhutto increased
9891-636: The Awami League to win Pakistan's first general election . When the Pakistani military junta refused to transfer power, he gave the 7th March speech and announced an independence movement. During the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, Mujib declared Bangladesh's independence. Bengali nationalists declared him as the head of the Provisional Government of Bangladesh , while he was confined in
10048-562: The Awami League won 167 out of 169 seats belonging to East Pakistan in the National Assembly of Pakistan , as well as a landslide in the East Pakistan Provincial Assembly . The Awami League emerged as the single largest party in the federal parliament of Pakistan. With 167 seats, it was past the halfway mark of 150 seats in the 300 member national assembly and had the right to form a government of its own. Sheikh Mujib
10205-641: The Awami League. Mujib's delegation included the notable lawyer and constitutional expert Kamal Hossain . The Bengali negotiating position is extensively discussed in Kamal Hossain's autobiography Bangladesh: Quest for Freedom and Justice . The Pakistani government was represented by former chief justice Alvin Robert Cornelius . At the InterContinental Dhaka , Bengali chefs refused to cook food for Yahya Khan. Governor Sahabzada Yaqub Khan requested
10362-572: The Bay of Bengal . Relations with neighbouring Myanmar have been severely strained since 2016–2017, after over 700,000 Rohingya refugees illegally entered Bangladesh. The parliament, government, and civil society of Bangladesh have been at the forefront of international criticism against Myanmar for military operations against the Rohingya, and have demanded their right of return to Arakan . Bangladesh shares an important bilateral and economic relationship with its largest neighbour India, which
10519-611: The Bengal Civil Service instead of the pan-Indian civil service. In parliament, Mujib spoke about parity between East and West Pakistan on 4 February 1956 and said the following. It was stated that at the time of partition there was only one I.C.S. officer in East Bengal and there were no Engineers. I say that Bengal with 16 per cent literacy has only such a meagre representation in the service. Sir, this fact must be realised that it costs an individual Rs. 200 to come from East Bengal to this place. If you recruit in East Bengal and give
10676-679: The Bengali grassroots. He had an uncanny ability to remember people by their first name regardless of whether they were political leaders, workers, or ordinary citizens. Mujib founded the Muslim Students League on 4 January 1948 as the student wing of the Muslim League in East Bengal . This organisation later transformed into the Bangladesh Chhatra League . During the visit of Governor General Muhammad Ali Jinnah to Dhaka , it
10833-421: The British East India Company in the Battle of Plassey in 1757 and thus Bengal was conquered by the British. Bengal played a crucial role in the Industrial Revolution in Britain, but also faced significant deindustrialization . The Great Bengal famine of 1770 resulted in millions of deaths. The Bengal Presidency was established during British rule. The borders of modern Bangladesh were established with
10990-444: The Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna, finally flowing into the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh is called the "Land of Rivers", as it is home to over 57 trans-boundary rivers , the most of any nation-state. Water issues are politically complicated since Bangladesh is downstream of India. Bangladesh is predominantly rich fertile flat land. Most of it is less than 12 m (39 ft) above sea level, and it
11147-441: The Mosque City , the Paharpur Buddhist Ruins and the Sundarbans ) and five tentative-list sites. Activities for tourists include angling , water skiing , river cruising, hiking, rowing , yachting , and beachgoing . The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) reported in 2019 that the travel and tourism industry in Bangladesh directly generated 1,180,500 jobs in 2018 or 1.9% of the country's total employment. According to
11304-940: The Muslim League. In 1944, he was elected as secretary of the Faridpur District Association, a Calcutta-based association of residents from Faridpur. In 1946, at the height of the Pakistan movement, Mujib was elected as General Secretary of the Islamia College Students Union in Calcutta. His political mentor Suhrawardy led the center-left faction of the Muslim League. Suhrawardy was responsible for creating 36 trade unions in Bengal, including unions for sailors, railway workers, jute and cotton mills workers, rickshaw pullers, cart drivers and other working class groups. Mujib assisted Suhrawardy in these efforts and also worked to ensure protection for Muslim families during
11461-518: The Nation ) for Chittaranjan Das , and Netaji ( The Leader ) for Subhash Chandra Bose . In 1969, President Ayub Khan convened a Round Table Conference with opposition parties to find a way out of the prevailing political impasse. A few days after his release from prison, Mujib flew to Rawalpindi to attend the Round Table Conference. Mujib sought to bargain for East Pakistan's autonomy. Mujib
11618-469: The Pacific has observed the fastest Human Development Index (HDI) progress in the world—with Bangladesh being one of the best performers, moving from an HDI of 0.397 in 1990, the fourth lowest in the region, to a HDI of 0.661 in 2021. Only China had greater improvements in the region over this period". In 2022, Bangladesh had the second largest foreign-exchange reserves in South Asia. The reserves have boosted
11775-457: The Pakistani government. He was accused of being a secessionist and an agent of India. East Pakistan's Intelligence Branch compiled many secret reports on his movements and political activities. The secret documents have been declassified by the Bangladeshi government. The formerly classified reports have also been published. The All Pakistan Awami Muslim League was founded on 23 June 1949 at
11932-410: The Pakistani government. His political activities were targeted by the government and police. In 1949, Mujib was expelled from Dhaka University on charges of inciting employees against the university. After 61 years, in 2010, the university withdrew its famously politically motivated expulsion order. Mujib emerged as a major opposition figure in Pakistani politics between 1948 and 1971. He represented
12089-692: The Round Table Conference. West Pakistani crowds received him with chants of "Sheikh Saheb Zindabad!" (meaning Long Live the Sheikh!). He was received by huge crowds in Quetta , Baluchistan. He spoke to West Pakistani crowds in a heavily Bengali accent of Urdu , talking about chhey nukati (six points) and hum chhoy dofa mangta sab ke liye . Mujib demanded that Pakistan accept his six-point plan for federal democracy. He wasn't satisfied by Ayub Khan's pledges. When he returned to Dhaka, he declared that East Pakistan should be known as Bangladesh . On 5 December 1969 Mujib made
12246-488: The Summit Group and Orion Group are playing an increasingly important role in both generating electricity, and supplying machinery, reactors, and equipment. Bangladesh increased electricity production from 5 gigawatts in 2009 to 25.5 gigawatts in 2022. It plans to produce 50 gigawatts by 2041. U.S. companies like Chevron and General Electric supply around 55% of Bangladesh's domestic natural gas production and are among
12403-593: The charges on 22 February 1969 and unconditionally released Mujib the following day. He returned to East Pakistan as a public hero. He was given a mass reception on 23 February, at the Ramna Race Course and conferred with the popular honorary title of Bangabandhu by Tofail Ahmed . The term Bangabandhu means Friend of the Bengal in the Bengali language. Several of Bengal's historic leaders were given similar honorary titles, including Sher-e-Bangla ( Lion of Bengal ) for A. K. Fazlul Huq , Deshbandhu ( Friend of
12560-415: The city of Agartala in the bordering Indian state of Tripura . The outcry and unrest over Mujib's arrest and the charge of sedition against him destabilised East Pakistan amidst large protests and strikes. Various Bengali political and student groups added demands to address the issues of students, workers and the poor, forming a larger "11-point plan". The government caved to the mounting pressure, dropped
12717-584: The civil service's meritocracy. The President of Bangladesh is the ceremonial head of state whose powers include signing bills passed by parliament into law. The President is the Supreme Commander of the Bangladesh Armed Forces and the chancellor of all universities. The Supreme Court of Bangladesh is the highest court of the land, followed by the High Court and Appellate Divisions. The head of
12874-755: The climate changes, each seriously affecting agriculture, water and food security, human health, and shelter. It is estimated that by 2050, a three-foot rise in sea levels will inundate some 20 percent of the land and displace more than 30 million people. To address the sea level rise threat in Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 has been launched. Bangladesh is located in the Indomalayan realm , and lies within four terrestrial ecoregions: Lower Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests , Mizoram–Manipur–Kachin rain forests , Sundarbans freshwater swamp forests , and Sundarbans mangroves . Its ecology includes
13031-499: The country is now setting the stage for further economic growth and job creation by ramping up investments in energy, inland connectivity, urban projects, and transport infrastructure, as well as focusing on climate change adaptation and disaster preparedness on its path toward sustainable growth." Bangladesh has made one of the greatest leaps on the Human Development Index among Asian countries. According to UNDP , "Asia and
13188-521: The country was set to revise its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan . Bangladesh is a de jure representative democracy under its constitution , with a Westminster -style parliamentary republic that has universal suffrage . The head of government is the Prime Minister, who forms a government every five years. The President invites the leader of the largest party in parliament to become prime minister. The Government of Bangladesh
13345-589: The crackdown on the opposition, mass media, and civil society through politicized enforcement. Bangladesh is ranked "partly free" in Freedom House's Freedom in the World report, but its press freedom has deteriorated from "free" to "not free" in recent years due to increasing pressure from the government. According to the British Economist Intelligence Unit , the country has a hybrid regime :
13502-590: The creation of SAARC , which has been the preeminent forum for regional diplomacy among the countries of the Indian subcontinent . It joined the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in 1974, and is a founding member of the Developing 8 Countries . In recent years, Bangladesh has focused on promoting regional trade and transport links with support from the World Bank . Dhaka hosts the headquarters of BIMSTEC , an organisation that brings together countries dependent on
13659-628: The demarcation of the partition. After the partition of India , Mujib was admitted into the Law Department of the University of Dhaka . The university was created in 1921 as a residential university modelled on Oxford and Cambridge where students would be affiliated with colleges; but its residential character was dramatically changed after partition and students became affiliated with departments. Mujib suffered repeated bouts of police detention due to his ability to instigate opposition protests against
13816-559: The devastation from the air. The ruling military junta was slow to respond with relief efforts. Newspapers in East Pakistan accused the federal government of "gross neglect, callous inattention, and bitter indifference". Mujib remarked that "We have a large army but it is left to the British Marines to bury our dead". International aid had to pour in due to the slow response of the Pakistani military regime. Bengalis were outraged at what
13973-532: The early 20th century, when Bengali patriotic songs, such as Aaji Bangladesher Hridoy by Rabindranath Tagore and Namo Namo Namo Bangladesh Momo by Kazi Nazrul Islam , used the term in 1905 and 1932 respectively. Starting in the 1950s, Bengali nationalists used the term in political rallies in East Pakistan . The term Bangla is a major name for both the Bengal region and the Bengali language . The origins of
14130-770: The emergence of the independent People's Republic of Bangladesh after victory was achieved on 16 December 1971. The Constitution of Bangladesh , enacted in 1972, established a democratic state with fundamental rights, an independent judiciary, and an elected parliament called the Jatiya Sangsad . Since gaining independence, Bangladesh has faced issues of political instability, economic reconstruction, and social transformation. The country experienced one party socialism under Sheikh Mujib in 1975, followed by military coups and military rule, notably under General Ziaur Rahman and General Hussain Muhammad Ershad . Between 1972 and 1975,
14287-573: The fate of the Bengali Muslim-dominated Sylhet District of Assam Province . Sheikh Mujib worked as an organizer and campaigner for inclusion in Pakistan in the Sylhet referendum. He went to Sylhet from Calcutta with about 500 workers. In his autobiography, he expressed his displeasure about the non-adherence of Karimganj to Pakistan despite winning the referendum and the various geographical inadequacies of East Pakistan during
14444-602: The first " Shah of Bangala" in 1342. The word Bangāl became the most common name for the region during the Islamic period. 16th-century historian Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak mentions in his Ain-i-Akbari that the addition of the suffix "al" came from the fact that the ancient rajahs of the land raised mounds of earth in lowlands at the foot of the hills which were called "al". This is also mentioned in Ghulam Husain Salim 's Riyaz-us-Salatin . The Indo-Aryan suffix Desh
14601-474: The forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 100% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership . Straddling the Tropic of Cancer , Bangladesh's climate is tropical, with a mild winter from October to March and a hot, humid summer from March to June. The country has never recorded an air temperature below 0 °C (32 °F), with a record low of 1.1 °C (34.0 °F) in
14758-457: The founding leader of Bangladesh . As the leader of Bangladesh, he had held continuous positions either as Bangladesh's president or as its prime minister from April 1971 until his assassination in August 1975. His nationalist ideology, socio-political theories, and political doctrines are collectively known as Mujibism . Born in an aristocratic Muslim family in Tungipara , Mujib emerged as
14915-611: The government's spending capacity despite tax revenues forming only 7.7% of government revenue. A big chunk of investments have gone into the power sector. In 2009, Bangladesh was experiencing daily blackouts several times a day. In 2022, the country achieved 100% electrification. One of the major anti-poverty schemes of the Bangladeshi government is the Ashrayan Project which aims to eradicate homelessness by providing free housing. The poverty rate has gone down from 80% in 1971, to 44.2% in 1991, to 12.9% in 2021. The literacy rate
15072-402: The high mortality rate in the deadly famine of 1974 . In 1975, he launched Second Revolution , under which he installed a one party regime and abolished all kinds of civil liberties and democratic institutions, by which he "institutionalized autocracy " and made himself the "unimpeachable" President of Bangladesh, effectively for life , which lasted for seven months. On 15 August 1975, he
15229-486: The highest. In Bangladesh forest cover is around 14% of the total land area, equivalent to 1,883,400 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, down from 1,920,330 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 1,725,330 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 158,070 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 0% was reported to be primary forest (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 33% of
15386-644: The institutional framework of the British military and the British Indian Army . In 2022, the active personnel strength of the Bangladesh Army was around 250,000, excluding the Air Force and the Navy (24,000). In addition to traditional defence roles, the military has supported civil authorities in disaster relief and provided internal security during periods of political unrest. For many years, Bangladesh has been
15543-527: The judiciary is the Chief Justice of Bangladesh , who sits on the Supreme Court. The courts have wide latitude in judicial review , and judicial precedent is supported by Article 111 of the constitution. The judiciary includes district and metropolitan courts divided into civil and criminal courts. Due to a shortage of judges, the judiciary has a large backlog. The Jatiya Sangshad (National Parliament)
15700-399: The largest investors in power projects. 80% of Bangladesh's installed gas-fired power generation capacity comes from turbines manufactured in the United States. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (17 March 1920 – 15 August 1975), popularly known by the honorific Bangabandhu , was a Bangladeshi politician, revolutionary, statesman, activist and diarist , who was
15857-565: The largest publicly traded companies in Bangladesh include Beximco , BRAC Bank , BSRM , GPH Ispat , Grameenphone , Summit Group , and Square Pharmaceuticals . Capital markets include the Dhaka Stock Exchange and the Chittagong Stock Exchange . Its telecommunications industry is one of the world's fastest-growing, with 172 million cellphone subscribers in January 2021. Over 80% of Bangladesh's export earnings come from
16014-551: The largest river delta in the world. The northwest and central parts of the country are formed by the Madhupur and the Barind plateaus. The northeast and southeast are home to evergreen hill ranges. The Ganges delta is formed by the confluence of the Ganges (local name Padma or Pôdda ), Brahmaputra ( Jamuna or Jomuna ), and Meghna rivers and their tributaries. The Ganges unites with
16171-644: The last century, including the one-horned and two-horned rhinoceros and common peafowl . The human population is concentrated in urban areas, limiting deforestation to a certain extent. Rapid urban growth has threatened natural habitats. The country has widespread environmental issues; pollution of the Dhaleshwari River by the textile industry and shrimp cultivation in Chakaria Sundarbans have both been described by academics as ecocides . Although many areas are protected under law, some Bangladeshi wildlife
16328-404: The longstanding Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (BEPZA). The Bangladeshi taka is the national currency. The service sector accounts for about 51.3% of total GDP and employs 39% of the workforce. The industrial sector accounts for 35.1% of GDP and employs 20.4% of the workforce. The agriculture sector makes up 13.6% of the economy but is the biggest employment sector, with 40.6% of
16485-407: The masses, students, professionals, and intellectuals of East Pakistan. Many observers believed that Bengali nationalism was a rejection of Pakistan's founding two-nation theory but Mujib never phrased his rhetoric in these terms. Mujib was able to galvanise support throughout East Pakistan, which was home to the majority of Pakistan's population. He became one of the most powerful political figures in
16642-485: The massive reallocation of revenue to West Pakistan despite East Pakistan's role in generating most of Pakistan's export income. Rehman Sobhan paraphrased the two-nation theory into the two economies theory. He argued that East and West Pakistan had two fundamentally distinct economies within one country. In 1966, Mujib put forward a 6-point plan at a national conference of opposition parties in Lahore . The city of Lahore
16799-568: The matter is decided. Mujib often called for increased recruitment and affirmative action in East Pakistan. Bengalis were under-represented in the civil and military services despite making up the largest ethnic group in the federation. Mujib felt that Bengalis were being relegated to provincial jobs instead of federal jobs because most Bengalis could not afford to travel outside the province in spite of holding master's degrees and bachelor's degrees. A similar situation also prevailed under British rule when Bengali degree holders were employed mostly in
16956-446: The minority votebanks. Suhrawardy joined the party within a few years and became its main leader. He relied on Sheikh Mujib to organise his political activities in East Bengal. Mujib became Suhrawardy's political protégé. Prior to partition, Suhrawardy mooted the idea of an independent United Bengal . But in Pakistan, Suhrawardy reportedly preferred to preserve the unity of Pakistan in a federal framework; while Mujib supported autonomy and
17113-472: The next government. Bhutto threatened to break the legs of any West Pakistani MP-elect who accepted Mujib's mandate. However, Khan Abdul Wali Khan of the Awami National Party from North West Frontier Province was open to accepting an Awami League government and travelled to Dhaka to meet with Mujib. Many in Pakistan's establishment were opposed to Mujib becoming Pakistan's prime minister. At
17270-418: The northwest city of Dinajpur on 3 February 1905. A warm and humid monsoon season lasts from June to October and supplies most of the country's rainfall. Natural calamities, such as floods , tropical cyclones , tornadoes , and tidal bores occur almost every year, combined with the effects of deforestation , soil degradation and erosion . The cyclones of 1970 and 1991 were particularly devastating,
17427-417: The other side to allow the people to give their verdict in any way, in the form of referendum or in the form of plebiscite. Mujib was often a vocal defender of human rights . Speaking on freedom of assembly and freedom of speech , he told Pakistan's parliament the following on 29 November 1955:- For whom are you going to frame the Constitution? Are you going to give freedom of speech, freedom of action to
17584-507: The party. The Awami League veered away from the left-wing extremism of its founding president Maulana Bhashani . Under Suhrawardy and Mujib, the Awami League emerged as a centre-left party. The Awami League strongly backed the Bengali Language Movement. Bengalis argued that the Bengali language deserved to be a federal language on par with Urdu because Bengalis formed the largest ethnic group in Pakistan. The movement appealed to
17741-414: The people of Pakistan? When you do not have any other law under which you can arrest a person, you haul him under this so-called Public Safety Act. This is the blackest Act on the statute book of Pakistan. I do not know how long such an Act will continue. I want to warn you. Sir, that you must do justice to all people without fear or favour. If justice fails, equity fails, fair-play fails, then we will see how
17898-417: The population. Like many developing countries, institutional corruption is an issue of concern for Bangladesh. Bangladesh was ranked 146th among 180 countries on Transparency International 's 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index . Land administration was the sector with the most bribery in 2015, followed by education, police and water supply. The Anti Corruption Commission was formed in 2004, and it
18055-455: The pressure on Yahya Khan to take a stand on dissolving the government. Sheikh Mujib spent 4682 days in prison in his political life. Among them, he spent 7 days in prison during the British raj and the remaining 4,675 days under the government of Pakistan. In 1938, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman went to the house of Gopalganj Hindu Mahasabha president Suren Banerjee when his classmate friend Abdul Malek
18212-572: The richest country to trade with. The region later became a part of the Mughal Empire . By the 18th century, Mughal Bengal emerged as the wealthiest province of the empire. Following the decline of the Mughal Empire in the early 1700s, Bengal became a semi-independent state under the Nawabs of Bengal , founded by Murshid Quli Khan in 1717 and ultimately led by Siraj-ud-Daulah who was defeated by
18369-415: The rights of East Bengal . Mujib served 13 years in prison during the British Raj and Pakistani rule. By the 1960s, Mujib adopted Bengali nationalism and became the undisputed leader of East Pakistan soon. He became popular for opposing political, ethnic and institutional discrimination; leading the six-point autonomy movement ; and challenging the regime of Field Marshal Ayub Khan . In 1970, he led
18526-445: The same report, Bangladesh experiences around 125,000 international tourist arrivals per year. Domestic spending generated 97.7 percent of direct travel and tourism gross domestic product (GDP) in 2012. Bangladesh is gradually transitioning to a green economy . It has the largest off-grid solar power programme in the world, benefiting 20 million people. An electric car called the Palki
18683-455: The same year i.e. 63 days from 25 October to 27 December 1949 and 787 consecutive days from 1 January 1950 to 26 February 1952. Sheikh Mujib had to spend 206 days in prison even after winning the United Front elections in 1954. Sheikh Mujib was arrested again on 11 October 1958 after Ayub Khan imposed martial law. At this time, he had to spend 1 thousand 153 consecutive days in prison. Then he
18840-479: The severity of the surgery and slow recovery. Mujib was 18 years old when he was married to eight years old Fazilatunnesa , widely known in Bangladesh as Begum Mujib, in an arranged marriage , according to the custom of the region at that time. They are second cousins. Mujib began showing signs of political leadership around this time. At the Gopalganj Missionary School, Mujib's political passion
18997-785: The shrinking space for independent civil society in recent years. Torture is banned by the Constitution of Bangladesh , but is rampantly used by Bangladesh's security forces. Bangladesh joined the Convention against Torture in 1998 and it enacted its first anti-torture law, the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act , in 2013. The first conviction under this law was announced in 2020. Amnesty International Prisoners of Conscience from Bangladesh have included Saber Hossain Chowdhury and Shahidul Alam . The widely criticized Digital Security Act
19154-597: The sister of Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, drew huge crowds in East Pakistan during her presidential campaign which was supported by the Combined Opposition Party, including the Awami League. East Pakistan was the hotbed of opposition to the presidency of Ayub Khan. Mujib became popular for voicing the grievances of the Bengali population, including under-representation in the military and central bureaucracy. Despite generating most of Pakistan's export earnings and customs tax revenue, East Pakistan received
19311-578: The term Bangla are unclear, with theories pointing to a Bronze Age proto-Dravidian tribe, and the Iron Age Vanga Kingdom . The earliest known usage of the term is the Nesari plate in 805 AD. The term Vangala Desa is found in 11th-century South Indian records. The term gained official status during the Sultanate of Bengal in the 14th century. Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah proclaimed himself as
19468-463: The third of four rankings in its Democracy Index . Bangladesh was ranked 96th among 163 countries in the 2022 Global Peace Index . According to National Human Rights Commission, 70% of alleged human-rights violations are committed by law-enforcement agencies. LGBT rights are frowned upon among social conservatives. Homosexuality is affected by Section 377 of the Penal Code of Bangladesh , which
19625-420: The time neither Mujib nor the Awami League had explicitly advocated political independence for East Pakistan, but smaller nationalist groups were demanding independence for Bangladesh . After the election victory, Mujib was ornamented as " Sher-e-Pakistan " (Lion of Pakistan) on a newspaper ad published on The Daily Ittefaq on 3 January 1971. Both Bhutto and Yahya Khan travelled to Dhaka for negotiations with
19782-451: The vested interests want to divide the people of East and West Pakistan". When asked about the prospect of East Pakistan ruling West Pakistan if the Awami League gained power, Mujib replied that majority rule is important in a democracy but the people of East Pakistan had no intention to discriminate against West Pakistan, and that West Pakistani parties would continue to play an important role. Mujib toured West Pakistani cities by train after
19939-627: The vice-president of the Faridpur district branch of the All Bengal Muslim Chhatra League in 1941. After the establishment of Pakistan, Sheikh Mujib was in jail for five days from 11 March – 15 March 1948. He was arrested on 11 September of the same year and released on 21 January 1949. He spent 132 days in prison during this period. Then on 19 April 1949, he was again taken to jail and was released on 28 June after serving 80 days of imprisonment. At that point he spent 27 days in prison. In
20096-410: The violent days in the run up to partition. In 1947, Sheikh Mujib also joined the "United Bengal Movement" which was organized under the leadership of Suhrawardy, Abul Hashim , Sarat Chandra Bose and others to form an undivided independent Bengal outside the jurisdiction of India and Pakistan. Later, when the creation of the states of India and Pakistan was confirmed, a referendum was held to decide
20253-416: The workforce. In agriculture, the country is a major producer of rice , fish , tea , fruits, vegetables, flowers, and jute. Lobsters and shrimps are some of Bangladesh's well-known exports. The private sector accounts for 80% of GDP compared to the dwindling role of state-owned companies. Bangladesh's economy is dominated by family-owned conglomerates and small and medium-sized businesses. Some of
20410-677: The works of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in state media. Censorship in state media spurred Bengali civil society groups like Chhayanaut to preserve Bengali culture. When Ayub Khan compared Bengalis to beasts, the poet Sufia Kamal retorted that "If the people are beasts then as the President of the Republic, you are the king of the beasts". The Daily Ittefaq led by Tofazzal Hossain voiced growing aspirations for democracy, autonomy, and nationalism. Economists in Dhaka University pointed to
20567-625: The world's largest contributor to UN peacekeeping forces . The military budget of Bangladesh accounts for 1.3% of GDP, amounting to US$ 4.3 billion in 2021. The Bangladesh Navy , one of the largest in the Bay of Bengal, includes a fleet of frigates, submarines, corvettes, and other vessels. The Bangladesh Air Force has a small fleet of multi-role combat aircraft. Most of Bangladesh's military equipment comes from China. In recent years, Bangladesh and India have increased joint military exercises, high-level visits of military leaders, counter-terrorism cooperation and intelligence sharing. Bangladesh
20724-603: The world. His foreign policy during the time was dominated by the principle "friendship to all and malice to none". He remained a close ally to Gandhi 's India and Brezhnev 's Soviet Union , while balancing ties with the United States . He gave the first Bengali speech to the UN General Assembly in 1974. Mujib's government proved largely unsuccessful in curbing political and economic anarchy and corruption in post-independence Bangladesh, which ultimately gave rise to
20881-600: The world—making the country's transformation over the next 50 years one of the great development stories. Since then, poverty has been cut in half at record speed. Enrollment in primary school is now nearly universal. Hundreds of thousands of women have entered the workforce. Steady progress has been made on maternal and child health. And the country is better buttressed against the destructive forces posed by climate change and natural disasters. Bangladesh's success comprises many moving parts—from investing in human capital to establishing macroeconomic stability. Building on this success,
21038-514: The years. The 2007 South Asian floods ravaged areas across the country, leaving five million people displaced, with a death toll around 500. Bangladesh is recognised to be one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change . Over the course of a century, 508 cyclones have affected the Bay of Bengal region, 17 percent of which are believed to have made landfall in Bangladesh. Natural hazards that come from increased rainfall, rising sea levels, and tropical cyclones are expected to increase as
21195-448: Was assassinated with most of his family members in his Dhanmondi 32 residence in a coup d'état . Sheikh Mujib's post-independence legacy remains divisive among Bangladeshis due to his economic mismanagement, the famine of 1974, human rights violations, and authoritarianism . Nevertheless, most Bangladeshis credit him for leading the country to independence in 1971 and restoring the Bengali sovereignty after over two centuries following
21352-565: Was 74.66% in 2022. Bangladesh has a labor force of roughly 70 million, which is the world's seventh-largest ; with an unemployment rate of 5.2% as of 2021 . The government is setting up 100 special economic zones to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and generate 10 million jobs. The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) have been established to help investors in setting up factories; and to complement
21509-423: Was a Taluqdar in Tungipara , owning landed property, around 100 Bighas of cultivable land. His clan's ancestors were Zamindars of Faridpur Mahakumar , however due to successive turns in the family fortune over generations had turned them middle class. The Sheikh clan of Tungipara were of Iraqi Arab descent, being descended from Sheikh Abdul Awal Darwish of Baghdad, who had come to preach Islam in
21666-605: Was a forceful orator at the assembly in Karachi. He opposed the government's plan to rename East Bengal as East Pakistan as part of the One Unit scheme. On 25 August 1955, he delivered the following speech. Sir [President of the Constituent Assembly], you will see that they want to use the phrase 'East Pakistan' instead of 'East Bengal'. We have demanded many times that you should use Bengal instead of Pakistan. The word Bengal has
21823-638: Was active during the 2006–08 Bangladeshi political crisis , indicting many leading politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen for graft . Bangladesh is divided into eight administrative divisions, each named after their respective divisional headquarters: Barisal (officially Barishal ), Chittagong (officially Chattogram ), Dhaka , Khulna , Mymensingh , Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Sylhet. Divisions are subdivided into districts ( zila ). There are 64 districts in Bangladesh, each further subdivided into upazila (subdistricts) or thana . The area within each police station, except for those in metropolitan areas,
21980-411: Was arrested again on 6 January 1962 and released on 18 June of that year. He spent 158 days in prison. Then in 1964 and 1965 he was in prison for 665 days in different terms. After making the six-point proposal, he was arrested at the place where he went to hold the rally. At that time, he held 32 public meetings and spent 90 days in prison for different periods. Then he was arrested again on 8 May 1966 and
22137-457: Was beaten up. Sheikh Mujib was arrested for the first time in a case filed by the leaders of the Hindu Mahasabha when the scuffle took place there. After seven days in jail, Sheikh Mujib was released when the case was dropped through settlement. In addition, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was temporarily arrested twice for making a speech and staying at the meeting place during disturbances while being
22294-565: Was born on 17 March 1920 into the Bengali Muslim aristocratic Sheikh family of the village of Tungipara in Gopalganj sub-division of Faridpur district in the province of Bengal in British India . His father Sheikh Lutfur Rahman was a sheristadar (law clerk) in the courthouse of Gopalganj; Mujib's mother Sheikh Sayera Khatun was a housewife. Mujib's father Sheikh Lutfur Rahman
22451-569: Was chosen because of its symbolism as the place where the Lahore Resolution was adopted by the Muslim League in 1940. The six points called for abolishing the Basic Democracy scheme, restoring universal suffrage, devolving federal power to the provinces of East and West Pakistan, separate fiscal, monetary and trade policies for East and West Pakistan, and increased security spending for East Pakistan. Mujib's points catalysed public support across East Pakistan, launching what historians have termed
22608-534: Was declared that Urdu will be the sole national language of Pakistan. This sparked the Bengali Language Movement . Mujib became embroiled in the language movement, as well as left-wing trade unionism among Bengali factions of the Muslim League. Bengali factions eventually split away and formed the Awami Muslim League in 1949. Mujib was arrested many times. His movements were tracked by spies of
22765-500: Was dismissed on 30 May 1954. Mujib was arrested upon his return to Dhaka from Karachi . He was released on 23 December 1954. Governor's rule was imposed in East Bengal. The elected government was eventually restored in 1955. On 5 June 1955, Mujib was elected to a newly reconstituted second Constituent Assembly of Pakistan . The Awami League organised a huge public meeting at Paltan Maidan in Dhaka on 17 June 1955 which outlined 21 points demanding autonomy for Pakistan's provinces. Mujib
22922-480: Was formed on 8 August 2024, with Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as the Chief Advisor . Bangladesh is in South Asia on the Bay of Bengal . It is surrounded almost entirely by neighbouring India, and shares a small border with Myanmar to its southeast, though it lies very close to Nepal , Bhutan , and China. The country is divided into three regions. Most of the country is dominated by the fertile Ganges Delta ,
23079-518: Was noticed by Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy , who was visiting the area along with A. K. Fazlul Huq . Mujib passed out from the Gopalganj Missionary School in 1942. Mujib moved to Calcutta for higher education. At the time, Calcutta was the capital of British Bengal and the largest city in undivided India. He studied liberal arts , including political science , at the erstwhile Islamia College of Calcutta and lived in Baker Hostel . Islamia College
23236-657: Was one of the leading educational institutions for the Muslims of Bengal. He obtained his bachelor's degree from the college in 1947. During his time in Calcutta, Sheikh Mujib became involved in the politics of the Bengal Provincial Muslim League , the All India Muslim Students Federation , the Indian independence movement and the Pakistan movement . In 1943, he was elected as a councillor of
23393-511: Was open to the idea of East Bengali independence. Mujib reportedly remarked that "[t]he Bengalis had initially failed to appreciate a leader of Mr. Suhrawardy's stature. By the time they learned to value him, they had run out of time". At the federal level, the Awami League was led by Suhrawardy. At the provincial level, the League was led by Sheikh Mujib who was given a free rein over the party's activities by Suhrawardy. Mujib consolidated his control of
23550-475: Was originally enacted by the British colonial government. An underground LGBT scene is flourishing across the country. However, Bangladesh only recognises the local transgender and intersex community known as the Hijra , which is the most widely accepted LGBT group among poorer sections of society. According to the 2016 Global Slavery Index, an estimated 1,531,300 people are enslaved in Bangladesh, or roughly 1% of
23707-457: Was renamed East Pakistan , with Dhaka as the legislative capital. The Bengali Language Movement in 1952, the 1958 Pakistani coup d'état , and the 1970 Pakistani general election spurred 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 , triggered the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. The Mukti Bahini , aided by India, waged
23864-801: Was repealed and replaced by the Cyber Security Act in 2023. The repeal was welcomed by the International Press Institute . On International Human Rights Day in December 2021, the United States Department of the Treasury announced sanctions on commanders of the Rapid Action Battalion for extrajudicial killings, torture, and other human rights abuses. Freedom House has criticised the government for human rights abuses,
24021-427: Was set up in 2007. Notable human rights organisations and initiatives include the Centre for Law and Mediation , Odhikar , the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety , the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association , the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and the War Crimes Fact Finding Committee . The world's largest international NGO BRAC is based in Bangladesh. There have been concerns regarding
24178-575: Was the first self-financed megaproject in the country's history. Other megaprojects include the Dhaka Metro , a mass rapid-transit system in the capital; Karnaphuli Tunnel , an underwater expressway in Chittagong ; Dhaka Elevated Expressway ; Chittagong Elevated Expressway ; and the Bangladesh Delta Plan , designed to mitigate the impact of climate change. The tourism industry is expanding, contributing some 3.02% of total GDP. Bangladesh's international tourism receipts in 2019 amounted to $ 391 million. The country has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites (
24335-413: Was the most powerful opposition leader at the Round Table Conference. Ayub Khan shook hands with Mujib, whom Khan previously had imprisoned. Talking to British media, Mujib said "East Pakistan must get full regional autonomy. It must be self-sufficient in all respects. It must get its due share and legitimate share in the central administration. The West Pakistani people support [East Pakistani demands]. Only
24492-412: Was widely considered to be the Prime Minister-elect , including by President Yahya Khan. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) came in second with 86 seats. The new parliament was scheduled to hold its first sitting in Dhaka, Pakistan's legislative capital under the 1962 constitution. The political crisis emerged when PPP leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto declared that his party would boycott parliament if Mujib formed
24649-434: Was widely considered to be the weak and ineffective response of the federal government to the disaster. Public opinion and political parties in East Pakistan blamed the ruling military junta for the lack of relief efforts. The dissatisfaction led to divisions between East Pakistanis and West Pakistanis within the civil services, police and Pakistani Armed Forces. In the Pakistani general elections held on 7 December 1970 ,
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