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Land Area - 147,570 sq km - Population - 159 million (approx) - Capital City - Dhaka - Religion - State religion is Islam (over 88 per cent of the population). Also Hindus (10.5 per cent) and other religious minorities including Buddhists and Christians.
- Language - Bangla (or Bengali), Hindi, Urdu, English
Political system - Parliamentary democracy - National government - Awami League elected December 2008 - National legislature - Unicameral legislature, 300 members directly elected from territorial constituencies for a five-year term - Last election - 29 December 2008 - Next election due - 2013 - Head of State - President Md Zillur Rahman - Head of Government - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
GDP - US$51.9 billion (year to June 2003) - GDP Breakdown - Goods 51.1% Services 48.9% - GDP Per Capita - US$355 (June 2003) - Real GDP growth - 7% (2008) - Exports - US$6,909 million (2003) - Imports - US$9,597 million (2003 estimate) - Main exports - Garments, hosiery products, frozen shrimps and fish, raw jute goods, leather
NZ Exports (FOB) - NZ$40.5 million (year ended December 2008) - Main Exports - Dairy products, eggs, honey 52.2%; Machinery 24.9%; Iron and steel 7.7%; Sugars 5.6% - NZ Imports (CIF) - NZ$7.6 million (year ended December 2008) - Main Imports - Textiles and clothing 60.1%; Ceramic products 2.9%, Tobacco 2.7%
Relations between New Zealand and Bangladesh remain friendly, although interaction is limited, and Ministerial contact occurs largely in the Commonwealth and United Nations contexts. Dairy products (mainly milk powder) are New Zealand’s principal export item to Bangladesh. There is a small but significant Bangladeshi community in New Zealand.
When British rule in India ended in 1947, the eastern part of Bengal became part of Pakistan. East Pakistan, as the eastern part of Bengal came to be known, had an uneasy relationship with the richer and more powerful West Pakistan. In 1971, separatist forces led by Sheikh Mujibur Rehman declared independence, and Bangladesh came into being.
The economic and political situation in Bangladesh deteriorated rapidly after independence and Bangladesh’s early years were characterised by political instability and violence. The country largely remained under dictatorial rule until in 1990 General Hossain Mohammad Ershad handed over power to a neutral caretaker government that organised Bangladesh’s first free elections in 1991.
A general election was held on 29 December 2008 after almost two years of rule by a military-backed interim government under a state of emergency (since October 2006).
The Awami League, under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina had a landslide victory winning 230 of the available 300 seats. Mr Md Zillur Rahman was elected as President and Ms Sheikh Hasina was appointed as Prime Minister. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) accepted defeat and, together with its coalition partner the Jamat-e-Islami party, has formed the opposition under the leadership of Khaleda Zia. The elections were widely considered by international and domestic observers to be free and fair, and signal the government’s move to rebuild the key institutions of democracy and good governance.
In late February 2009, a two-day mutiny by members of Bangladesh’s border security force, the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), left at least 74 people dead including at least 57 army officers. The mutiny, and its aftermath, continues to preoccupy political commentators in Bangladesh.
With a population of nearly 160 million, the People’s Republic of Bangladesh is one of the world’s most densely populated countries. It is also one of the world’s poorest countries. Bangladesh is vulnerable to the frequent cyclones and floods accompanying the annual monsoons.
Rapid liberalisation in the 1990s saw Bangladesh’s GDP growth increase from annual average 3.4 percent in the 1970s and 1980s to almost 5 percent in the 1990s. Recent GDP growth of 7 per cent was achieved in 2008, but this figure is expected to decline in 2009 – 2010 as a result of the global financial crisis. Bangladesh’s growth rate remains significantly below the levels required to meet the millennium target of halving the number of people below the poverty line by 2015.
Agriculture contributes over 23 per cent of GDP and employs over 60 per cent of the labour force. Rice is the dominant crop (over 70 per cent of the total value of agricultural production). Other crops include wheat, jute, sugar cane, pulses, spices, tea and various fruits and vegetables.
Bangladesh has a liberal foreign investment regime, but apart from energy exploration and production, foreign investment in Bangladesh in general is limited.
The garment industry currently accounts for over 70 per cent of total exports and is under competitive pressures. Remittances from workers employed overseas remain an important income stream for Bangladesh, although this has been adversely affected by the global financial crisis.
Trade between New Zealand and Bangladesh is modest (NZ$48.1 million in the 2008 calendar year) and the trade balance is largely in our favour. Bangladesh benefits from our policy to extend duty free access to the world’s least developed countries.
Relations with India, with whom Bangladesh shares a long and porous border on three sides, form an important part of Bangladesh’s foreign policy. Bangladesh is also a major recipient of foreign development assistance (US$1.5 – 1.9 billion per annum in recent years). Talks have commenced with India on a free trade agreement. However relations have been strained by the alleged presence of large numbers of Bangladeshi illegal immigrants in India, and by Indian moved to erect a fence along the India-Bangladesh border.
Bangladesh plays an active role in forums such as the Commonwealth and the United Nations, and participates in many multilateral agencies. It has also provided large numbers of personnel to UN peacekeeping operations around the world, including in Cambodia, Bosnia, Somalia, Haiti and Timor-Leste.
Bangladesh has been active in promoting regional and sub-regional cooperation. It supported the concept of sub-regional cooperation between India, Bhutan and Nepal as a means of strengthening the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
New Zealand does not have a bilateral NZAID programme for Bangladesh, although Bangladesh does receive some NZAID funding through emergency and disaster relief, UN and NGO channels. New Zealand was pleased to assist Bangladesh following Cyclone Sidr in 2007 by making a contribution to the World Food Programme’s emergency appeal.
High-level political contacts are infrequent, and Ministerial contact occurs largely in the Commonwealth and United Nations contexts. .
The Safe Travel website provides a travel advisory for travellers to Bangladesh [external link].
