| Full Name: The People's Republic of
Bangladesh |
| Background: 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. |
| President: Iajuddin Ahmed |
| Prime Minister: Begum Khaleda Zia |
| Location : Southern Asia, bordering the
Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India. |
| Geographic
coordinates: 24 00 N, 90 00 E |
| Population: 133,376,684 (July 2002 est.) |
| Official Languages: Bangla |
| Capital: Dhaka |
| Area: 1,44,00 Sq Km |
| Independent Day: 16th December 1971. |
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| Currency: Taka |
| Time Zone: UTC+6 |
| Calling Code: +880 |
Nationality:
noun: Bangladeshi(s)
adjective: Bangladeshi |
| Religions: Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other
1% (1998) |
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Politics: The president, while head
of state, holds a largely ceremonial post, with real power
held by the prime minister, who is head of government. The
president is elected by the legislature every 5 years and his
normally limited powers are substantially expanded during the
tenure of a caretaker government, mainly in controlling the
transition to a new government. The prime minister is
appointed by the president and must be a member of parliament
(MP) whom the president feels commands the confidence of the
majority of other MPs. The cabinet is composed of ministers
selected by the prime minister and appointed by the president. |
| Parliament: The unicameral Bangladeshi
parliament is the House of the Nation or Jatiya Sangsad,
whose 300 members are elected by popular vote from single
territorial constituencies for five-year terms of office. The
highest judiciary body is the Supreme Court, of which the
chief justices and other judges are appointed by the President. |
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