Bangladesh, officially the People’s Republic of Bangladesh,[b] is a country in South Asia. Bangladesh, the eighth-most populous and one of the most densely populated countries, has over 170 million people in 147,570 sq km. It borders India and Myanmar. To the south, a coastline along the Bay of Bengal is had by Bangladesh. The Siliguri Corridor separates Bangladesh from China, while, on the other hand, the Indian state of Sikkim divides it from Bhutan and Nepal. Dhaka, the capital and largest city, is the nation’s political, financial, and cultural center. Chittagong is the second-largest city and the busiest port of the country. The official language is Bengali. Islam is the official and largest religion, and Bengali Muslims form the largest ethnoreligious group in the country.
Bangladesh, once part of historic Bengal, was divided in 1947 as East Pakistan. Ancient Bengal, known as Gangaridai, was a stronghold of pre-Islamic kingdoms. The 1204 Muslim conquest led to the Bengal Sultanate and Mughal rule, making the region a key trade and diplomacy center.
Discovering Bangladesh: A Land of Rich Culture and Natural Beauty
The Battle of Plassey in 1757 marked the beginning of British rule for the next 200 years. Bangladesh emerged as a result of the establishment of Eastern Bengal and Assam in 1905. Founded in Dhaka in 1906, the All-India Muslim League advocated for a Bengali Muslim state, as proposed by A.K. Fazlul Huq in the 1940 Lahore Resolution. The Radcliffe Line established the current territorial boundaries.
A Cultural Mosaic
In 1947, East Bengal became East Pakistan, with Dhaka as its capital. The 1952 Language Movement, 1958 coup, and 1970 election fueled Bengali nationalism. The military’s refusal to transfer power to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman led to the 1971 Liberation War. The Mukti Bahini waged a successful armed revolution; the conflict saw the Bangladeshi genocide. The country came into existence on 16 December 1971 after the surrender of Pakistan, ending the 9-month-long Liberation War.
Lush Landscapes and Biodiversity
Bangladesh is a unitary parliamentary republic based on the Westminster system. It is a middle power with the second-largest economy in South Asia. Bangladesh is home to the third-largest Muslim-majority population and the fifth-most spoken native language. It maintains the third-largest military in South Asia and is the largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations. It is separated into eight divisions, 64 districts, and 495 subdistricts, and it has the largest mangrove forest in the world.
Despite its advancements, Bangladesh still faces problems with congestion, political instability, corruption, and environmental issues. It hosts many refugees and is home to BIMSTEC HQ. A key member of the Commonwealth, OIC, and SAARC, it has twice chaired the Climate Vulnerable Forum.