Profile

Formerly East Pakistan, Bangladesh came into being only in 1971, when the two parts of Pakistan split after a bitter civil war which drew in neighbouring India.

Overview

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Formerly East Pakistan, Bangladesh came into being only in 1971, when the two parts of Pakistan split after a bitter civil war which drew in neighbouring India.

Bangladesh is one of world's most densely populated countries. Poverty is deep and widespread, although it has made progress in reducing population growth and improving health and education.

The country is vulnerable to flooding and cyclones. The major employer is agriculture, but it is unable to meet the demand for jobs. The country is trying to diversify its economy, with industrial development a priority.

A short history
In 1526, the region of Bengal became part of the Mogul empire. Colonists from the Netherlands, France and Britain arrived in the 16th and 17th century. By the end of the 17th century, the British presence on the Indian subcontinent was centred in Calcutta.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the British gradually extended their commercial contacts and administrative control beyond Calcutta to Bengal.

In 1859, the British Crown replaced the East India Company, extending British dominion from Bengal, which became a region of British India, in the east to the Indus River in the west.

Amid mounting animosity between Hindu and Muslim communities in the British-controlled India in the late 19th century, in 1885, the All-India National Congress was founded with Indian and British membership.

Muslims founded the All-India Muslim League in 1906. Originally, it had supported India for independence struggle. Later, most Muslims started demanding a separate Muslim state.

After India's partition in 1947 following independence, the region of Bengal was divided along religious lines. The predominantly Muslim eastern half was designated East Pakistan--and made part of the newly independent Pakistan--while the predominantly Hindu western part became the Indian state of West Bengal.

Almost from the advent of independent Pakistan in 1947, frictions developed between East and West Pakistan, which were separated by more than 1,000 miles of Indian territory.

East Pakistanis felt exploited by the West Pakistan-dominated central government. Linguistic, cultural, and ethnic differences contributed to the estrangement of East from West Pakistan.

Bengalis strongly resisted attempts to impose Urdu as the sole official language of Pakistan. To address these grievances, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman--known widely as "Mujib"--in 1949 formed the Awami League (AL), a party designed mainly to promote Bengali interests.

Mujib became president of the Awami League and emerged as leader of the Bengali autonomy movement. The Awami League won all the East Pakistan seats of the Pakistan national assembly in 1970-71 elections. Pakistani President Yahya Khan indefinitely postponed the pending national assembly session, precipitating massive civil disobedience in East Pakistan.

In and out of jail, Mujib's party was banned, and most of his aides fled to India, where they organised a provisional government. On March 26, 1971, following a bloody crackdown by the Pakistan Army, Bengali nationalists declared an independent People's Republic of Bangladesh.

As fighting grew between the Army and the Bengali mukti bahini ("freedom fighters"), an estimated 10 million Bengalis, mainly Hindus, sought refuge in the Indian states of Assam and West Bengal.

Indian sided with East Pakistan, and in November, India intervened on the side of the Bangladeshis. On December 16, 1971, Pakistani forces surrendered, and Bangladesh-- meaning "Bengal nation"--was born; the new country became a parliamentary democracy under a 1972 Constitution.

The provisional government of the new nation of Bangladesh was formed in Dhaka with Justice Abu Sayeed Choudhury as President, and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ("Mujib")--who was released from Pakistani prison in early 1972--as Prime Minister.

Facts

Population: 149.7 million (UN, 2004)
Capital: Dhaka
Area: 143,998 sq km (55,598 sq miles)
Major language: Bengali
Major religions: Islam, Hinduism
Life expectancy: 61 years (men), 62 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 taka = 100 paisa
Main exports: Garments, fish, jute goods, leather products
GNI per capita: US $400 (World Bank, 2003)
International dialling code: +880