Contents

Bangladesh

Bangladesh
Country



Native name
Template:Lang




Capital
Dhaka
Largest city
Dhaka



Official languages
Bangla[1]


Demonym
Bangladeshi




Legislature
Jatiya Sangsad








Currency
Taka (BDT)









Website
[bangladesh.gov.bd Official website]


Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It occupies much of the eastern part of the historical region of Bengal and lies mainly within the low-lying delta formed by the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna river systems. It borders India to the west, north and east, Myanmar to the southeast, and the Bay of Bengal to the south.[2] Dhaka is the capital and largest city. The United Nations reported a surface area of 148,460 square kilometres and an estimated 2025 population of about 175.7 million.[3]

Bangladesh is a unitary republic with a parliamentary system. The Constitution makes the prime minister the head of the Cabinet and places executive authority under the prime minister, while the president serves as head of state.[4] As of September 2026, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is president and Tarique Rahman is prime minister.[5][6] The national legislature is the Jatiya Sangsad, or House of the Nation.[7]

Modern Bangladesh emerged from the eastern wing of Pakistan after the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. Its independence followed decades in which linguistic, cultural, economic and political disagreements shaped relations between East and West Pakistan.[8] Bangla is the state language, while Islam is the state religion; the Constitution also guarantees equal status and equal rights in the practice of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and other religions.[9]

Bangladesh has developed a large manufacturing and service economy, with the ready-made garment industry forming a major part of its exports.[10] Its location on a densely settled river delta also makes flooding, cyclones, salinity and other climate-related hazards important long-term development issues.[11]

History

Early and medieval Bengal

The territory of present-day Bangladesh formed part of the wider historical region of Bengal. Ancient sources referred to several regional political and cultural areas in the lower Ganges basin rather than to a single continuously unified state.[12] Among the major powers that later controlled substantial parts of Bengal was the Buddhist Pala Empire, which ruled between roughly the eighth and twelfth centuries and supported important centres of art, religion and learning.[13]

Turkish Muslim rule became established in Bengal in the early thirteenth century. During the fourteenth century, rulers of the independent Bengal Sultanate brought large parts of the region under common political authority, and the term Bangalah became increasingly associated with Bengal as a political territory.[14] Bengal later became a major province of the Mughal Empire, with important urban, agricultural, textile and commercial centres linked to regional and overseas trade.[12]

Colonial rule and partition

British power expanded in Bengal during the eighteenth century. The region became central to the administration and economy of British India, while colonial policies altered landholding, agriculture, trade and political institutions.[15]

Bengal was partitioned administratively in 1905 and reunited in 1911. A second and permanent partition accompanied the end of British colonial rule in 1947. Predominantly Muslim eastern Bengal became part of the new state of Pakistan, while western Bengal became part of India.[16] The eastern province was initially called East Bengal and later became known as East Pakistan. It was geographically separated from West Pakistan by more than 1,000 kilometres of Indian territory.[2]

Language movement and East Pakistan

Political tensions developed over language, representation, economic policy and regional autonomy. In 1952, students and other protesters in Dhaka demonstrated for recognition of Bangla as a state language of Pakistan. Several demonstrators were killed on 21 February, and the Bengali Language Movement became an important symbol of Bengali cultural and political identity.[17] Bangladesh later initiated the proposal for International Mother Language Day, which UNESCO approved in 1999 and which has been observed internationally on 21 February since 2000.[17]

Political demands for greater autonomy intensified during the 1960s. In Pakistan's 1970 general election, the Awami League won overwhelming support in East Pakistan, but the transfer of national political power did not proceed. A military crackdown began in March 1971, followed by armed resistance, extensive displacement and a major refugee crisis. Millions of people crossed into India during the conflict.[8][18]

Independence in 1971

Bangladesh's independence was declared on 26 March 1971. A provisional government was subsequently organized, while the Mukti Bahini and other resistance forces fought Pakistani forces during the Liberation War.[19] India entered the wider war in December 1971. Pakistani forces in the eastern theatre surrendered in Dhaka on 16 December, which Bangladesh observes as Victory Day.[8]

The new state faced the tasks of reconstruction, resettlement and establishing government institutions after the war. Bangladesh joined the United Nations on 17 September 1974.[3]

Political development after independence

The Constitution adopted after independence originally established a parliamentary system. In 1975, constitutional changes introduced a presidential system and one-party rule. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country's first prime minister and later president, was assassinated with most members of his family in August 1975. A period of coups, martial law and military-backed governments followed.[20]

Bangladesh remained under military or military-dominated rule for much of the period from 1975 to 1990. A mass political movement led to the fall of President Hussain Muhammad Ershad in 1990, and elections were held in 1991. The Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution restored the parliamentary system, making the prime minister the principal executive authority and the Cabinet collectively responsible to Parliament.[21]

Politics in the following decades was strongly shaped by competition between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Awami League. Sheikh Hasina served as prime minister for an extended period beginning in 2009. In 2024, demonstrations that initially centred on government-job quotas developed into a wider political crisis. Hasina resigned and left Bangladesh in August 2024, after which an interim government headed by economist and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took office.[22]

Parliamentary elections were held in February 2026, returning the BNP to government with a parliamentary majority. Tarique Rahman subsequently became prime minister.[23]

Geography

Bangladesh lies on the northern coast of the Bay of Bengal and consists largely of low-lying alluvial plains. Much of the country is shaped by the interconnected Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna river systems and their numerous tributaries and distributaries.[2] The United Nations lists the country's surface area as 148,460 square kilometres.[3]

The deltaic landscape contains extensive floodplains, wetlands, river islands and coastal areas. Higher terrain occurs in parts of the southeast and northeast. The country's river systems are central to agriculture, transport, fisheries, settlement patterns and the continuing formation and erosion of land.[2]

Climate and natural hazards

Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon climate, with hot and humid conditions for much of the year and a large share of annual rainfall occurring during the monsoon season. Flooding is a regular feature of the river system, while the coast is exposed to tropical cyclones and storm surges.[11]

Climate change presents significant risks through rising temperatures, sea-level rise, changing rainfall, salinity intrusion and extreme events. Bangladesh has also invested extensively in cyclone preparedness, early-warning systems, shelters and coastal protection. The World Bank reports that cyclone-related deaths have fallen dramatically compared with the levels recorded in 1970, while warning that climate risks remain substantial.[11]

Environment and biodiversity

The Sundarbans in southwestern Bangladesh form part of a large tidal mangrove system shared with India. The Bangladeshi Sundarbans World Heritage property contains mangrove forests, islands, mudflats and a network of tidal waterways. It supports diverse wildlife including the Bengal tiger and several threatened aquatic and terrestrial species.[24]

Bangladesh has three properties on the UNESCO World Heritage List: the Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat, the Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur, and the Sundarbans.[25]

Government and politics

The Constitution defines Bangladesh as a unitary, independent and sovereign republic.[9] The president is the head of state and is elected by members of Parliament. Except for particular constitutional functions, the president acts on the advice of the prime minister.[26] Executive power is exercised by or under the authority of the prime minister, and the Cabinet is collectively responsible to Parliament.[4]

The Constitution provides for a Parliament known as the House of the Nation or Jatiya Sangsad. Under the constitutional provisions in force in September 2026, it consists of 300 directly elected members from territorial constituencies and 50 seats reserved for women, whose members are chosen through proportional representation by the elected members.[7] The official Parliament website identifies the current legislature as the 13th Parliament and lists Hafiz Uddin Ahmad Bir Bikram as Speaker and Kayser Kamal as Deputy Speaker.[27]

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir took office as president on 21 August 2026 after being elected by members of Parliament the previous day.[5] Tarique Rahman has served as prime minister since 17 February 2026.[6]

Constitutional reform process

A referendum on proposals connected with the July National Charter was held alongside the 2026 parliamentary election. The Election Commission's gazetted result recorded a majority of valid votes in favour of the reform proposals.[28] Among the issues proposed in the wider reform process were changes to constitutional institutions and a future bicameral legislature.

The constitutional changes had not all taken effect by September 2026. The Constitution then in force continued to establish the existing Jatiya Sangsad under Article 65, while a special parliamentary committee was working on constitutional amendments connected with the July Charter.[7] On 20 September 2026, the committee's chairman said consultations would continue before recommendations were submitted to Parliament.[29]

Administrative divisions

Bangladesh is divided into eight administrative divisions: Barishal, Chattogram, Dhaka, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Sylhet. The national government portal lists 64 districts below the divisional level, followed by upazilas and union-level administrative units.[30]

Local administration varies between rural and urban areas. Major cities are governed through city corporations, while municipalities administer many smaller urban centres.

Foreign relations and defence

Bangladesh joined the United Nations in September 1974.[3] It is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).[31][32]

Bangladesh was among the founding members of SAARC, whose charter was signed in Dhaka on 8 December 1985.[33] It was also a founding participant in BIMSTEC when the regional organization was established in 1997, and the BIMSTEC Secretariat is located in Dhaka.[34]

The Bangladesh Armed Forces consist principally of the army, navy and air force. Bangladesh has participated extensively in United Nations peacekeeping operations; its first UN peacekeeping deployment took place in 1988.[35]

Economy

Bangladesh is classified by the World Bank as a lower-middle-income economy. The World Bank recorded a nominal gross domestic product of about US$456.32 billion in 2025 and GDP per capita of about US$2,597.[36] Economic expansion over recent decades has been accompanied by major changes in manufacturing, urban employment, exports and household living standards.

The ready-made garment industry is especially important to Bangladesh's export economy. In 2026, the World Bank reported that ready-made garments accounted for about 82 percent of exports. Efforts to diversify exports have also focused on industries including footwear, leather goods, light engineering, plastics and other manufacturing sectors.[10]

Agriculture remains important for rural employment and food production, while services account for a large share of overall economic output. Rice is a central crop, alongside fisheries, livestock and other agricultural activities. Overseas employment and remittances are also significant to household incomes and the national balance of payments; World Bank data put personal remittances at 7.4 percent of GDP in 2025.[36]

Bangladesh has made substantial long-term gains in poverty reduction and access to basic services, though employment creation, inflation, financial-sector weaknesses and economic diversification remain major policy issues. In April 2026, the World Bank highlighted persistent inflation and stress in the banking sector among the country's near-term macroeconomic challenges.[37]

The 2025 Human Development Report gave Bangladesh a Human Development Index value of 0.685 for 2023, placing it 130th in the report's ranking.[38]

Demographics

Bangladesh is among the world's most densely settled large countries. The World Bank estimated its population at 175,686,899 in 2025, while UNData reported a population density of about 1,349.7 people per square kilometre using its population-density measure.[36][3] Population growth has slowed compared with earlier decades, while the share of people living in urban areas has risen.

Ethnic Bengalis form the large majority of the population. Bangladesh also has numerous minority ethnic communities, including Chakma, Marma, Santal, Garo, Manipuri, Tripura, Tanchangya and others, many of whom maintain distinct languages and cultural traditions.[39]

Language

Bangla, also called Bengali, is the state language under Article 3 of the Constitution.[1] It is spoken by the great majority of the population and has a central role in education, literature, government and national culture. Minority communities use a range of other languages, while English is widely used in higher education, business, law and some official and professional settings.

The memory of the 1952 Language Movement has an important place in public culture. The annual observance of 21 February, known in Bangladesh as Ekushey February, is associated with language rights and the people killed during the 1952 demonstrations.[17]

Religion

Islam is the state religion, while the Constitution requires the state to ensure equal status and equal rights in the practice of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and other religions.[40]

The preliminary 2022 Population and Housing Census reported that 91.04 percent of the population was Muslim, 7.95 percent Hindu, 0.61 percent Buddhist, 0.30 percent Christian and 0.12 percent belonged to other religious categories.[41]

Education and health

Bangladesh has expanded school participation and literacy over the decades. The 2022 census reported a literacy rate of 74.66 percent among people aged seven and above, with a rate of 76.56 percent for males and 72.82 percent for females.[41]

Health indicators have also improved over the longer term. World Bank data gave Bangladesh a life expectancy at birth of about 75 years in 2024.[36] Public health priorities include maternal and child health, infectious diseases, nutrition, non-communicable diseases and access to affordable healthcare.

Culture

Bangladeshi culture is rooted largely in the wider traditions of Bengal while also reflecting Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Indigenous and regional influences. Bangla literature, music, visual arts, crafts, theatre and festivals form important parts of national cultural life.

The national anthem is the first ten lines of Amar Sonar Bangla, written by Rabindranath Tagore. The national flag consists of a red disc on a green field, while the national emblem centres on the shapla or water lily, surrounded by rice and jute imagery.[42]

Literature, music and folk traditions

Bangla has a long literary tradition extending across present-day Bangladesh and the Indian region of West Bengal. Modern literary and cultural life has also been strongly associated with institutions such as the Bangla Academy, which developed from the cultural environment created by the Language Movement.[43]

Baul songs are among Bangladesh's internationally recognized folk traditions. UNESCO describes the Bauls as mystic minstrels whose music and philosophy have had an important influence on Bengali culture. Baul songs were placed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.[44]

UNESCO's Representative List also includes Bangladeshi traditions such as Jamdani weaving, Mangal Shobhajatra on Pahela Baishakh, Shital Pati weaving, rickshaws and rickshaw painting in Dhaka, and the traditional saree-weaving art of Tangail.[45]

Festivals and heritage

Pohela Boishakh, the Bengali New Year, is widely celebrated with fairs, music, processions and cultural events. The Mangal Shobhajatra organized in Dhaka for the New Year was inscribed by UNESCO on its Representative List in 2016.[45]

Bangladesh's archaeological and architectural heritage reflects Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Mughal and colonial periods. UNESCO's three World Heritage properties include the Buddhist monastic ruins at Paharpur, the medieval mosque city of Bagerhat and the natural landscape of the Sundarbans.[25]

Sport

Cricket and football are among the country's most widely followed sports. Bangladesh became a Full Member of the International Cricket Council in 2000 and played its first men's Test match against India in Dhaka in November of that year.[46] The Bangladesh national cricket teams compete in international Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The state language. The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Laws of Bangladesh, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Bangladesh. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Bangladesh country profile. United Nations Data. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named constitution-executive
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named president2026
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named pm2026
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Article 65: Establishment of Parliament. The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Laws of Bangladesh. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 The South Asian crisis and the founding of Bangladesh, 1971. Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named constitution-republic
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Diversifying Exports for Better Jobs in Bangladesh. World Bank, 26 February 2026. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Key Highlights: Country Climate and Development Report for Bangladesh. World Bank, 31 October 2022. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Political Geography. Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  13. ↑ Pala Painting. Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  14. ↑ Islam, Bengal. Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  15. ↑ Colonial Period. Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  16. ↑ Partition Politics. Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 International Mother Language Day. UNESCO. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  18. ↑ The United Nations in Bangladesh. United Nations Bangladesh. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  19. ↑ Document 383: Bangladesh and the 1971 conflict. Foreign Relations of the United States, Office of the Historian. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  20. ↑ Background Notes: Bangladesh — Political Conditions Since Independence. U.S. Department of State. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  21. ↑ Constitution. Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  22. ↑ Bangladesh Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus takes charge of caretaker government. Reuters, 8 August 2024. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  23. ↑ Bangladesh's BNP wins two-thirds majority in election. Reuters, 13 February 2026. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  24. ↑ The Sundarbans. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Bangladesh — Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  26. ↑ Article 48: The President. The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Laws of Bangladesh. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  27. ↑ Bangladesh Parliament. Jatiya Sangsad. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  28. ↑ Bangladesh gazettes referendum results, 68.59% back 'Yes'. bdnews24.com, 14 February 2026; updated 21 August 2026. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  29. ↑ July National Charter to be implemented as it was signed: Salahuddin. Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, 20 September 2026. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  30. ↑ Division and district information. Bangladesh National Portal. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  31. ↑ Our member countries. Commonwealth Secretariat. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  32. ↑ Member States. Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  33. ↑ About SAARC. SAARC Secretariat. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  34. ↑ History of BIMSTEC. BIMSTEC Secretariat. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  35. ↑ Bangladesh. United Nations Peacekeeping. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 Bangladesh Data. World Bank. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  37. ↑ Urgent reforms needed to restore macro stability, sustain growth and create jobs in Bangladesh. World Bank, 8 April 2026. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  38. ↑ Human Development Report 2025. United Nations Development Programme, Table 1. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  39. ↑ Bangladesh at a glance. Bangladesh National Portal. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  40. ↑ Article 2A: The state religion. The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Laws of Bangladesh. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named census2022
  42. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named constitution-symbols
  43. ↑ Bangladesh — Periodic reporting on intangible cultural heritage. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  44. ↑ Baul songs. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 Bangladesh — Elements on the Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage. UNESCO. Accessed 24 September 2026.
  46. ↑ Taking Their Bow — Bangladesh, 2000. International Cricket Council. Accessed 24 September 2026.
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