The 2010 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

democracy

      Capital:

      name: Dhaka

      geographic coordinates: 23 43 N, 90 24 E

      time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

      Administrative divisions:

      7 divisions; Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Sylhet

      Independence:

      16 December 1971 (from West Pakistan); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is known as Victory Day and commemorates the official creation of the state of Bangladesh

      National holiday:

      Independence Day, 26 March (1971); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is Victory Day and commemorates the official creation of the state of Bangladesh

      Constitution:

      4 November 1972; effective 16 December 1972; suspended following coup of 24 March 1982; restored 10 November 1986; amended many times

      Legal system:

      based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

      Suffrage:

      18 years of age; universal

      Executive branch:

      chief of state: President Zillur RAHMAN (since 12 February 2009)

      head of government: Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA Wajed (since 6 January 2009)

      cabinet: Cabinet selected by the prime minister and appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by National Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); last election held on 11 February 2009 (next to be held in 2014)

      election results: Zillur RAHMAN declared president-elect by the Election Commission on 11 February 2009 (sworn in on 12 February); he ran unopposed as president; percent of National Parliament vote - NA

      Legislative branch:

      unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300 seats elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies; members serve five-year terms

      elections: last held on 29 December 2008 (next to be held in 2013)

      election results: percent of vote by party - AL 49%, BNP 33.2%, JP 7%, JIB 4.6%, other 6.2%; seats by party - AL 230, BNP 30, JP 27, JIB 2, other 11

      Judicial branch:

      Supreme Court (the chief justices and other judges are appointed by the president)

      Political parties and leaders:

      Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]; Bangladesh Communist Party or

       BCP [Manjurul A. KHAN]; Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Khaleda

       ZIA]; Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh or BDB [Badrudozza CHOWDHURY]; Islami

       Oikya Jote or IOJ [multiple leaders]; Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh or

       JIB [Matiur Rahman NIZAMI]; Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction)

       [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Oli

       AHMED]

      Political pressure groups and leaders:

      Advocacy to End Gender-based Violence through the MoWCA (Ministry of

       Women's and Children's Affairs)

      other: environmentalists; Islamist groups; religious leaders; teachers; union leaders

      International organization participation:

      ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CICA (observer), CP, D-8, FAO, G-77, IAEA,

       IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,

       IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA,

       MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD,

       UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNWTO,

       UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

      Diplomatic representation in the US:

      chief of mission: Ambassador Akramul QADER

      chancery: 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

      telephone: [1] (202) 244–0183

      FAX: [1] (202) 244–7830/2771

      consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

      Diplomatic representation from the US:

      chief of mission: Ambassador James F. MORIARTY

      embassy: Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212

      mailing address: G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000

      telephone: [880] (2) 885–5500

      FAX: [880] (2) 882–3744

      Flag description:

      green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to the hoist side of center; the red disk represents the rising sun and the sacrifice to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lush vegetation of Bangladesh

      National anthem:

      name: "Amar Shonar Bangla" (My Golden Bengal)

      lyrics/music: Rabindranath TAGORE

      note: adopted 1971; Rabindranath TAGORE, a Nobel laureate, also wrote India's national anthem

      Economy ::Bangladesh

      Economy - overview:

      The economy has grown 5–6% per year since 1996 despite political instability, poor infrastructure, corruption, insufficient power supplies, and slow implementation of economic reforms. Bangladesh remains a poor, overpopulated, and inefficiently-governed nation. Although more than half of GDP is generated through the service sector, 45% of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector, with rice as the single-most-important product. Bangladesh's growth was resilient during the 2008–09 global financial crisis and recession. Garment exports, totaling $12.3 billion in FY09 and remittances from overseas Bangladeshis totaling $9.7 billion in FY09 accounted for almost 25% of GDP.

      GDP (purchasing power parity):

      $259.3 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 47 $244.6 billion (2009 est.)

      $231.4 billion (2008 est.)

      note: data are in 2010 US dollars

      GDP (official exchange rate):

      $105.4 billion (2010 est.)

      GDP - real growth rate:

      6% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 36 5.7% (2009 est.)

      6% (2008 est.)

      GDP - per capita (PPP):

      $1,700 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 196 $1,600 (2009 est.)

      $1,500 (2008 est.)

      note: data are in 2010 US dollars

      GDP - composition by sector:

      agriculture: 18.4%

      industry: 28.7%

      services: 52.9% (2010 est.)

      Labor force:

      73.87 million country comparison to the world: 8 note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia; workers' remittances estimated at $10.9 billion in 2009–10 (2010 est.)

      Labor force - by occupation: