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 ashoka - maurya's rule

273-32 - mahashtan flourishes
ad king chandravarman
c. 4th century gupta dynasty
320-650 king sasanka
606-637 khadga dynasty
650-700 pala dynasty of bengal founded by gopala
750 dharmapala
770-810 - paharpur vihara founded
c. 8th century deva dynasty
900-1050 - salban vihara, kutil mupa stupa
1094-1204 chandra dynasty of south bengal
1155 sena dynasty
1204 last pala king
1338 ikhtiyaruddin khaljis conquest of bengal
1342-1493 fakhruddin mubarak shah declares independence
1364 of bengal
1425 ilyas shahi dynasty
1459 - adina mosque
1465 - eklakhi tomb
1493-1538 - shait gumbad mosque, bagerhat
1564-1575 - dakhil darwaza
1575 husain shahi dynasty
1608 - chhota sona mosque
1664-1678 - bagha and kusumbha mosques
1679-1688 karrani dynasty
july 1678 - october 1679 mughal occupation of bengal
1690 dhaka established as capital of bengal
1700-1727 shaista khan, governor of bengal
1740-1756 - lalbagh fortress, sat masjid
1757 prince muhammad azam as governor
1765 calcutta founded by job charnock
murshi quli khan
1793 alivardi khan, nawab
1857-1858 battle of plassey, british domination of bengal
1905 begins
1947 grant of "dewani" in bengal, bihar & orissa to east
1971 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 14-
year-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, would-
be 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
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 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 5-
hour 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
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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 raqta@email.com)
(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