Bangladesh

With an area of about 144,000 sq km, Bangladesh is situated between latitudes 20~34' and 26~38' north and latitudes 88~01' and 92~41' east. The country is bordered by India on the east, west and north and by the Bay of Bengal on the south. There is also a small strip of frontier with Burma on the southeastern edge. The land is a deltaic plain with a network of numerous rivers and canals.

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Brief Facts:

Official Name

The People's Republic Of Bangladesh

Location

Latitude between 20 degree 34' and 26 degree 39' north. Longitude between 88 degree 00' and 92 degree 41' east.

Area

144,000 sq. km.

Boundary

Bounded by India from the north, east and west and by the Bay of Bengal and Burma from the south.

Climate

Main seasons : Winter (Nov - Feb), Summer (Mar - Jun), Monsoon (Jul - Oct). Temp : Max 34 degree Celsius, Min 8 degree Celsius.

Rainfall

Lowest 47" and highest 136"

Capital

Dhaka (Present area 414 sq. km. Master plan 777 sq.km.)

Population

Total estimated population 130 million.

State Language

Bangla. English is also widely spoken and understood

National Days

National Martyrs Day - February 21 Independence Day - March 26 Victory Day - December 16

Principal Rivers

Padma, Meghna, Jamuna, Brahmaputra, Madhumati, Surma and Kushiara

Principal Crops

Jute, rice, tobacco, tea, sugarcane, vegetables, potato, pulses, etc.

Important Fruits

Mango, banana, pineapple, jack-fruit, water-melon, green coconut, guava, licis, etc.

Major Industries

Jute, sugar, paper, textiles, fertilizers, cigeratte, cement, steel, natural gas, oil-refinery, newsprint, power generation, rayon, matches, fishing and food processing, leather, soap, carpet, timber, ship-building, telephone, etc.

Sea Ports

Chittagong and Mongla

Airports

Zia international airport, Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet, domestic airports at Chittagong, Jessore, Sylhet, Cox's Bazar, Rajshahi and Saidpur

Electricity

220 Volts A.C. in all cities and towns

Tourist Seasons

October to March

Main Tourist Attractions

Colorful tribal life, longest sea beach, centuries' old archeological sites, home of the Royal Bengal Tiger, largest tea gardens, interesting riverine life, etc.

Wearing Apparel

Tropical in summer, and light-woolen in winter

Currency

The unit of currency is the Taka. Notes are in denominations of 1,2,5,10,20,50,100 and 500 Taka. Coins are 1,5,10,25,50 and 100 Paisa (100 Paisa = 1 Taka)

Anthem:

My Bengal of gold, I love you
Forever your skies, your air set my heart in tune as if it were a flute,
In Spring, Oh mother mine, the fragrance from your mango-groves makes me wild with joy-
Ah, what a thrill!
In Autumn, Oh mother mine,
in the full-blossomed paddy fields,
I have seen spread all over - sweet smiles!
Ah, what a beauty, what shades, what an affection
and what a tenderness!
What a quilt have you spread at the feet of banyan trees and along the banks of rivers!
Oh mother mine, words from your lips are like Nectar to my ears!
Ah, what a thrill!
If sadness, Oh mother mine, casts a gloom on your face,
my eyes are filled with tears!

Geography:

Location:Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India
Geographic coordinates: 24 00 N, 90 00 E
Area:

• Total: 144,000 sq km
• Land: 133,910 sq km
• Water: 10,090 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Land boundaries:

• Total: 4,246 km
• Border countries:Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km

Coastline: 580 km
Maritime claims:

• Contiguous zone: 18 nm
• Continental shelf: up to the outer limits of the continental margin
• Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
• Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; cool, dry winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); cool, rainy monsoon (June to October)
Terrain: mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast
Elevation extremes:

• Lowest point:Indian Ocean 0 m
• Highest point: Keokradong 1,230 m

Natural resources: natural gas, arable land, timber
Land use:

• Arable land: 73%
• Permanent crops: 2%
• Permanent pastures: 5%
• Forests and woodland: 15%
• Other: 5%

Irrigated land: 31,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely flooded during the summer monsoon season

Media:

The main broadcasters - Radio Bangladesh and Bangladesh Television (BTV) - are state-owned and favourable to the government. Little coverage is given to the political opposition, except in the run-up to general elections when a caretaker government takes control.

TV dominates media usage, especially in the cities. BTV is the sole terrestrial TV channel. Popular satellite and cable channels include ATN, Channel i, NTV, RTV, Channel One, BanglaVision and Boishakhi. The advent of these private broadcasters has had little impact in rural areas.

Foreign, especially Indian, TV stations have gained large audiences in Dhaka and other cities.

State-run radio covers almost the entire country.

Bangladeshi newspapers are diverse, outspoken and privately-owned. The print media are privately owned and there is a strong tradition of owner-editorship. English-language titles appeal mainly to an educated urban readership.

The constitution guarantees press freedom, but journalists are subject to regular harassment from the police and political activists. The government exercises a degree of control through the placement of official advertising.

Media rights organisation Reporters Without Borders says journalists are targeted by Islamist and Maoist groups, as well as officials and politicians.

The BBC World Service is available on FM in Dhaka.

The press

• The Daily Star - English-language
• The Bangladesh Observer - English-language daily
• New Age - English-language daily
• The New Nation - English-language daily
• Holiday - English-language weekly
• Daily Prothom Alo - Bengali daily
• Dainik Ittefaq - Bengali daily
• Dainik Jugantor - Bengali daily

Television

• Bangladesh Television (BTV) - government-run
• ATN Bangla - private, via satellite and cable
• Channel i - private, via satellite and cable
• NTV - private, via satellite and cable
• RTV - private, via satellite
• Ekushey TV - private, via satellite

Radio

• Betar-Radio Bangladesh - government-run, operates networks A, B and C from Dhaka and local services
• Radio Today FM - in Dhaka and surrounding area
• Radio Furti FM - in Dhaka and surrounding area
• Radio Metrowave - Dhaka, music and news aimed at younger listeners

News agencies

• Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) - official, English-language pages
• bdnews24 - private

Climate:

Average Temperature and Rainfall

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max. Temp (°C)	25.4	28.1	32.3	34.2	33.4	31.7	31.1	31.3	31.6	31.0	28.9	26.1
Min. Temp (°C)	12.3	14.0	19.0	23.1	24.5	25.5	25.7	25.8	25.5	23.5	18.5	13.7
Rainfall (mm)	07.0	19.8	40.7	110.7	257.5	460.9	517.6	431.9	289.9	184.2	35.0	09.4

Khulna:

Khulna with nearly 2 million people and one of the country's industrial city stands on the Rupsa River.

It is a divisional headquarter in southwestern Bangladesh. An important river port and produce collection and trade center, it is connected by river steamer, road, and rail to the major cities of the southern Gangetic delta. Shipyards are located 3 miles (5 km) south, on the Kazibacha River. Forest products from the Sundarbanssupply Khulna's industries, which include jute, oilseed, cotton-textile, paper, and board mills and match and newsprint factories.

Khulna is one of our four metropolitan cities and has a university (Khulna University), a Medical college, an engineering university (KUET), a Cantonment (Zahanabad Sena Nibash not with a full division), a Naval Base (BNS Titumir) , the country's only Telephone Cable and Newsprint industry. Bangladesh's largest ship building industry is also there.