Facts And Figures Bangladesh

facts and figures on bangladesh SIZE: BORDER COUNTRIES: COASTLINE: CLIMATE PEOPLE AGE STRUCTURE: \cellx9639POPULATION

GROWTH RATE: BIRTH RATE: DEATH RATE: TOTAL FERTILITY RATE: DHAKA’S POPULATION HOUSING ETHNIC GROUPS: RELIGIONS INFANT MORTALITY RATE: LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH: CHILD MARRIAGE LITERACY: AGRICULTURE: INDUSTRY: SERVICES: RESOURCES: BALANCE OF PAYMENTS: GOVERNMENT: NATIONAL SECURITY

armed forces: auxiliary forces:

LABOUR: UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: LABOR FORCE - BY OCCUPATION UNIONS DISTRIBUTION OF FAMILY INCOME INFLATION RATE EXPORTS: US$6.6 BILLION (2001)

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IMPORTS: $8.7 BILLION (2001) RADIO BROADCAST STATIONS: AM 12, FM 12, SHORTWAVE 2 (1999) TELEVISION BROADCAST STATIONS: 15 (1999) INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS (ISPS): 10 (2000) ENVIRONMENT CURRENT ISSUES: ECONOMY - OVERVIEW FOREIGN AID

the independent 17 october 2002

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chronological table bc 273-32 ad c. 4th century 320-650 606-637 650-700 750 770-810 c. 8th century 900-1050 1094-1204 1155 1204 1338 1342-1493 1364 1425 1459 1465 1493-1538 1564-1575 1575 1608 1664-1678 1679-1688 july 1678 - october 1679 1690 1700-1727 1740-1756 1757 1765 1793 1857-1858 1905 1947 1971

ashoka - maurya's rule - mahashtan flourishes king chandravarman gupta dynasty king sasanka khadga dynasty pala dynasty of bengal founded by gopala dharmapala - paharpur vihara founded deva dynasty - salban vihara, kutil mupa stupa chandra dynasty of south bengal sena dynasty last pala king ikhtiyaruddin khaljis conquest of bengal fakhruddin mubarak shah declares independence of bengal ilyas shahi dynasty - adina mosque - eklakhi tomb - shait gumbad mosque, bagerhat - dakhil darwaza husain shahi dynasty - chhota sona mosque - bagha and kusumbha mosques karrani dynasty mughal occupation of bengal dhaka established as capital of bengal shaista khan, governor of bengal - lalbagh fortress, sat masjid prince muhammad azam as governor calcutta founded by job charnock murshi quli khan alivardi khan, nawab battle of plassey, british domination of bengal begins grant of "dewani" in bengal, bihar & orissa to east india company permanent british settle of bengal sepoy mutiny first (failed) partition of bengal indian independence, second partition of bengal birth of bangladesh

http://www.jollybengali.net/bangladesh/history.htm

human rights practices for 1998 report released by the bureau of democracy, human rights, and labor u.s. department of state

bangladesh country report february 1999 bangladesh is a parliamentary democracy, with broad powers exercised by the prime minister. prime minister sheikh hasina wajed is the leader of the awami league, which came to power in 1996 in national elections deemed to be free and fair by international observers. there is an active political opposition. violence is a pervasive feature of politics, including political campaigns and elections, and elections frequently are marred by violence and rigging. the major opposition 3

political parties frequently boycott or otherwise absent themselves from parliament, making it a less effective deliberative body. the awami league government has been accused of abusing its majority powers. the judiciary displays a high degree of independence at appellate levels; however, lower judicial officers fall under the executive, and are reluctant to challenge government decisions. the home affairs ministry controls the police and paramilitary forces, which bear primary responsibility for maintaining internal security. there is widespread corruption and lack of discipline among the police, effectively reducing control over them by civilian authorities. police officers committed a number of serious human rights abuses. bangladesh is a very poor country. annual per capita income is less than $300, and more than one-third of the country's estimated 126 million people live in poverty. seventy percent of the work force is involved in agriculture, which accounts for one-third of gross domestic product (gdp). the economy is market-based, but the government plays a significant role in the industrial sector. the industrial sector is growing, based largely on the manufacture of garments, textiles, rerolled steel, cement, and jute. a small wealthy elite controls much of the private economy, but there is an emerging middle class. discovery of potentially large gas reserves has attracted foreign investors. in recent years, the relative importance of foreign aid has diminished vis-à-vis increased earnings from exports and remittances from workers overseas. efforts to reform the economy have been hampered by endemic corruption, political turmoil, and the opposition of public sector enterprises, government bureaucrats, and other vested interests. nevertheless, the economic growth rate during the last fiscal year was above 5 percent. the worst flooding during the 20th century occurred in 1998. the floods lasted for 3 months, and covered two-thirds of the country. flooding affected all sectors of the economy; the agriculture, infrastructure, and microfinance sectors were the hardest hit. the government's human rights record changed little from the previous year; the government continued to restrict or deny many fundamental rights, and failed to prevent or punish abuses committed by others. police committed extrajudicial killings, and some persons died in police custody under suspicious circumstances. police routinely use torture and other forms of abuse while interrogating suspects. the government rarely convicts and punishes those responsible for torture or unlawful deaths. prison conditions are poor. the government continued to use the special powers act (spa) and section 54 of the criminal code, which allow for arbitrary arrest and preventive detention, to harass political opponents and other citizens by detaining them without formal charges. however, government statistics indicated a sharp decrease in the number of persons detained under these provisions. a large case backlog slows the judicial process, and lengthy pretrial detention is a problem. the government sometimes infringes on citizen's privacy rights. journalists practice some self-censorship. the government limits freedom of assembly. societal discrimination against women, the disabled, indigenous people, and religious minorities is a problem. violence against women, trafficking in women and children for prostitution, and bonded labor remain serious problems. the government continues to limit some worker rights. a 1995 agreement has resulted in the elimination of approximately 95 percent of child labor in the garment sector, the main export industry. child labor and abuse of child workers are widespread and serious problems. vigilante justice resulted in numerous killings. on october 5, the government acceded to the international covenant on economic, social, and cultural rights and the convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. the 1997 chittagong hill tracts (cht) peace accord has been in effect for 1 year, and has ended 25 years of insurgency in the cht. while the situation in the cht was peaceful at year's end, implementation of the peace accord has been slow. much of the violence against women is related to disputes over dowries. according to one human rights group, there were 80 dowry-related killings in 1998. human rights groups and press reports indicate that incidents of vigilantism against women--sometimes led by religious leaders--are common occurrences, particularly in rural areas. these include humiliating, painful punishments, such as the whipping of women accused of moral offenses. few perpetrators of such extrajudicial punishments are prosecuted. in noakhali village in may, local arbitrators gave a 14year-old girl who had been raped 101 lashes. she died 6 days later. some persons were arrested in the incident, but observers stated that the real culprits had not been charged. in a village near manikganj in october, local arbitrators gave a woman and her husband 101 lashes, and had their heads shaved. the woman had offended some persons in the village by divorcing her first husband, who demanded a dowry, and then remarrying. the couple later committed suicide. section 6 worker rights a. the right of association the constitution provides for the right to join unions and--with government approval--the right to form a union. approximately 1.8 million of the country's 5 million workers in the formal sector belong to unions (the total work force is approximately 58 million). there is a large unreported informal sector, for which no reliable labor statistics exist. for a union to obtain and maintain its registration, 30 percent workplace participation is required. moreover, wouldbe unionists technically are forbidden to engage in many activities prior to registration. labor activists have protested that this requirement severely restricts worker's freedom to organize. the international labor organization (ilo) has requested the government to amend the 30 percent provision on the grounds that it restricts workers' freedom to organize. the ilo also has requested the government to amend legislative provisions that bar registration of a union comprising workers from different workplaces owned by different employers. about 15 percent of the approximately 5,450 labor unions are affiliated with 23 officially registered national trade union (ntu) centres. there are also several 4

unregistered ntus. under the industrial relations ordinance, there is considerable leeway for discrimination against union members and organizers by employers. for example, the ordinance allows the arbitrary transfer of workers suspected of union activities or termination with payment of mandatory severance benefits (2 weeks' salary). there are credible reports that employers routinely engage in antiunion discrimination and harassment, including physical attack, especially in the garment industry. in practice, private sector employers usually discourage any union activity, sometimes working in collaboration with local police. d. status of child labor practices and minimum age for employment the law prohibits labor by children, including forced or bonded labor. however, such practices occur (see section 6.c.). there is no law that uniformly prohibits the employment of children, and child labor is a serious problem. some laws prohibit labor by children in certain sectors. the factories act of 1965 bars children under the age of 14 from working in factories. this law also stipulates that children and adolescents are allowed to work only a maximum 5hour day and only between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. the shops and establishments act of 1965 prohibits the employment of children younger than 12 in commercial workplaces. the employment of children act of 1938 prohibits the employment of children under 15 in the railways or in goods handling within ports. coverage and enforcement of these rules is inadequate. because of widespread poverty, many children begin to work at a very young age. according to a 1996 labor force survey by the government, the country has 6.3 million working children between the ages of 5 and 14 years, who work for compensation and are not enrolled in school. also, children often work side by side with other family members in small-scale and subsistence agriculture. unicef and ilo surveys indicate that, of children 6 to 17 years of age, 21 percent of boys and 4 percent of girls are working in paid employment. children drive rickshaws, break bricks at construction sites, carry fruit, vegetables, and dry goods for shoppers at markets, work at tea stalls, and work as beachcombers in the shrimp industry. children routinely perform domestic work. cases of children being physically abused and occasionally killed by heads of household where they work are reported in the press. the constitution prohibits forced or compulsory labor, including that performed by children, however, the government does not enforce this prohibition effectively (some children work in conditions that resemble labor servitude; see section 6.c.). some children are trafficked domestically or overseas, often for prostitution, and child prostitution is a serious problem (see section 5). under the law, every child must attend school through the fifth grade, or age 10 years. however, the government continues to maintain that it does not yet have the resources to implement this law effectively. the law sets a standard 48-hour workweek with 1 day off mandated. a 60-hour workweek, inclusive of a maximum 12 hours of overtime, is allowed. the law is poorly enforced in industries such as hosiery and ready-made garments. the factories act of 1965 nominally sets occupational health and safety standards. the law is comprehensive but largely is ignored by employers. workers may resort to legal action for enforcement of the law's provisions, but few cases actually are prosecuted. enforcement by the labor ministry's industrial inspectors is weak. due to a high unemployment rate and inadequate enforcement of the laws, workers demanding correction of dangerous working conditions or refusing to participate in perceived dangerous activities risk losing their jobs. minorities’ rights bangladesh: “operation clean heart” results in over 3,000 arrests and the death of 10 people as a result of torture: omct bangladesh is new rest stop for al-qaeda fugitives: the herald murder and gang rape: nightmare for minorities in bangladesh: a special report from hrcbm bangladesh's 'al-qaeda links': bbc quandary reflection: a hrcbm newsletter site of hindu festival attacked: icons destroyed – an attempt to usurp the temple property?: janakantha bangladesh crime clean-up: two die: bbc army fights crime in bangladesh: bbc army on standby to crackdown on crime: daily star news deadly cargo - bangladesh: al-qaeda's new safe haven?: time puja mandap vandalised in pabna: dailystar news bangladesh detains hundreds ahead of durga puja: hindustantimes temple burnt, idols destroyed in bangladesh: the indian express temple torched, idols destroyed in bangladesh: hindustan times one year of coalition rule:poor hr record: daily star news bangladesh: breeding ground for muslim terror: asia times 10 feared killed, 200 hurt in two blasts at satkhira: the independent bangladesh investigates blasts: bbc bomb blasts rock bangladesh town: bbc 2 teenage girls raped and killed in magura: daily star news dhaka hardliners protest against play: bbc ukhia chakma (indigenous tribal) neighborhood-bereft of men: janakantha 5

u.s. team in dhaka to probe attacks on hindus: yahoo news (ians) quandary reflection: hrcbm protection of hr lacking: undp: the independent torture on minorities violation of hr: cec: the independent urgent action! bangladesh lawyer threatened and attacked:amnesty international urgent action appealed:hrcbm religious extremism and nationalism in bangladesh: bangladesh observer hrcbm submits memo to president of bangladesh quandary reflection hindu family victims of illegal occupation in brahmanbaria bnp leader's brother forcibly occupies hindu house in brahmanbaria an appeal from a destitute family: help save minorities in bangladesh urgent action appealed: help stop forceful conversion to islam in bangladesh lawyer seeks security: daily star news new documentary movie from hrcbm on bangladesh minorities quandary reflection:hrcbm satkhira: atrocities against minorities in bangladesh: hrcbm special report urgent action: attack on human right activist, advocate rabindra ghosh: hrcbm hrcbm’s report unveiled truth: kidnap, land grabbing and atrocities against minorities in sathkira: daily sangbad atrocities against minorities continue in bangladesh: a special report from hrcbm-dhaka escalating violence threatens press freedom in bangladesh: a special report from rsf (reporters without border) tribal housewife was forcefully unclothed and tortured: police refused to register accusation against the miscreants: sangbad well-orchestrated attacks on minorities to evict them from mehandhiganj: bhorer kagoj international convention on crimes against humanity bengal basin and beyond: reaffirming a humane, plural society: iibb quandary reflection: hrcbm a vibrant culture facing uncertainty: daily star news quandary reflection: hrcbm http://www.hrcbm.org/ bibliography and websites quoted: http://www.jollybengali.net/bangladesh/faith.htm http://www.jollybengali.net/bangladesh/culture.htm http://www.jollybengali.net/bangladesh/art/index.htm http://www.jollybengali.net/bangladesh/cities.htm http://www.jollybengali.net/bangladesh/history.htm http://www.geocities.com/raqta24/bangla3.htm (a short history of bengal by tanmoy bhattacharya a thousand year old bengali mystic poetry by hasna jasimuddin moudud, daughter of famous poet jashimuddin. a history of the indian people by d. p. singhal i am indebted to various sources for writing this history ... many books that i have read since i was a kid and those i read now both in paper and on the net. i thank the authors. 2001, novo, novo's library, majlish. all rights reserved. do not reproduce without prior permission. standard disclaimers apply. send permission/syndication requests to [email protected]) (written permission was granted in e-mail enclosed http://www.hrcbm.org/ http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/bg.html http://memory.loc.gov/frd/cs/bdtoc.html the independent, dhaka. week of october 14 to 19, 2002

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