Overview
Population: 158.2 million (8th largest in the world) where nearly 60% being under 25 years, 3% a 65
Land Area: 147,570 sq km
Main Cities: Dhaka (13 million), Chittagong (5 million)
Languages: 95% Bangla, English widely spoken
Ethnically homogeneous: 98.9% Bengalis
Bangladesh, officially the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. Located in the Bengal region, it shares borders with Religiously homogeneous: 98.7% Muslim, 9.2% India and Burma (Myanmar), and has its coastline Hindu, 1% Buddhist and Christians
Total adult literacy rate: 54% Youth (15-24 years) literacy rate 72% (UNICEF 2007 stats)
With a population of approximately 156.6 million as of 2013-14, and an economy on a growth path, Bangladesh has been listed in the “Next 11 after BRIC” in Goldman Sachs analyst reports, while JP Morgan has included Bangladesh in the “Frontier Five” economies. Credit rating agency Standard and Poor (S&P) and Moody’s have also placed Bangladesh ahead of all countries in South Asia, except India. The business climate in Bangladesh is on an upswing.
Bangladesh emerged as an independent and sovereign country in 1971 following a nine month war of liberation with Pakistan, faced several obstructions to growth, such as widespread poverty and natural disasters, as well as political turmoil and military coups which had strained the growth of the Bangladesh economy. Yet, despite such prevailing economic turmoil, Bangladesh has remained resilient with an optimistic approach towards positive economic growth. Traditionally an agrarian economy, Bangladesh has established itself as the Textile and readymade Garment powerhouse of the world, with almost all major global apparel brands sourcing from Bangladesh.
CONNECTIVITY
ROAD, RAIL, WATER, AIR
Road: In Bangladesh, among the various modes of transport, the road transport system has been playing a significant role in transporting passengers and goods. As of January 2010, Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has so far constructed a total of 133,514 km3 (64,691 km dirt road and 68,823 km paved roads) upazila and union roads and 971,498 bridges/culverts.
Air: The Civil Aviation Authority is a public sector entity entrusted to construct, maintain and supervise airports and regulate air traffic. There are 13 operational airports at present and Short Take-off and Landing (STOL) ports in Bangladesh. These are Dhaka, Barisal, Chittagong, Comilla, Cox’s Bazaar, Ishurdi, Jessore, Rajshahi, Syedpur, Sylhet and Thakurgaon. Of these, the airports at Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet serve international routes.