BANGLADESH
One of the smallest nations of the world,
Bangladesh is said to have been born twice - once as East Pakistan and once as
Bangladesh. Historically described as 'Golden Bengal' for its agricultural
affluence, the country had to struggle, post its independence in 1971, to get
political and economic stability.Though economically still underdeveloped,
Bangladesh is famous for its cultural richness. Handmade goods, rich literary
heritage, classical and folk music, five world heritage sites and numerous
archeological sites, makes this country one of the cultural hotspots in South
Asia. Geography Located in the Southern Asia, Bangladesh shares its land
boundaries with India and Myanmar. Most part of the country lies in
Ganga-Brahmaputra river delta, thus, Bangladesh has almost no mountains except
Chittagong hilly tract region. Climatically Bangladesh enjoys tropical
monsoons. The geographic coordinates of Bangladesh are 24 00 N 90 00 E. The
country has rich and diverse flora and fauna.
History of Bangladesh
Present Bangladesh was part of Bengal region, in
the northeast portion of the Indian subcontinent. This region has a long
history of more than thousand years. In 750 AD, Gopala, the founder of Pala
Dynasty, 'the first Buddhist dynasty of Bangladesh' came into power. This
dynasty was in power for about four centuries. Vijay Sen was the last emperor
of this dynasty, who reintroduced Hinduism in this region. During the
sixteenth century, Bangladesh was a part of the Mughul Empire with Dhaka as an
integral city. From 1757 to 1947, for almost two hundred years, this region as
part of British India was ruled by the British Empire. In 1947, when Britain
portioned India into two countries, Bengal was also divided along religious
lines. The Muslim majority area became a part of Pakistan and was known as East
Pakistan. The Hindu majority part of Bengal became a part of
India. However, in 1971 a civil war broke out between East and West
Pakistan. During the war, India supported Bangladesh. On December 16, 1971,
Pakistani forces surrendered and Bangladesh was born. On January 11, 1972,
Bangladesh become a parliamentary democracy under its new constitution.
Geography of Bangladesh
The terrain of Bangladesh is mostly flat alluvial
plain, with hills in the southeast. The highest point in the country is
Keokradong at 1,230 meters above sea level. Throughout the year, Bangladesh
experiences various climates. From October to March the weather is tropical
with a mild winter; summer lasts from March to June, when the climate is hot
and humid; and from to June to October, Bangladesh experiences the warm rainy
monsoon season. Natural hazards that occur in Bangladesh include droughts,
cyclones, and floods in most parts of the country during the summer monsoon
season. Cox Bazar in Bangladesh is the longest unbroken sea beach in the
world.
Economy of Bangladesh
Bangladesh is a developing economy. Since 1996, the
economy of Bangladesh has developed at a rate of about 5-6% per year. More than
half of the country's GDP is generated from the service sector. However, more
than 40% of Bangladesh's population is engaged in agriculture. Rice is the most
important agricultural product. Production and export of jute was once the
major source of income for Bangladesh, but it declined after products made from
polypropylene began to replace goods made out of jute. Presently, production
and export of garments makes a significant contribution to the economy of the
country.
Travel and Tourism
Bangladesh as a tourist destination has lot to
offer from ancient monuments, historic mosques, Buddhists temples, tribal
culture, tea plantation, beaches, forests, diverse wildlife, and variety of
cuisine, which is a major attraction for both national and international
tourists. One can visit the natural reserve forests and tea plantations in
Sylhet and mountains and beaches in Chittagong of Bangladesh. Dhaka the capital
of the country has great accommodation, restaurants, and places of
entertainment to satisfy the visitors. Also Bangladesh is not a very expensive
country, thus many tourists find a vacation quite affordable and fun at the
same time. Since 2000, Bangladesh's tourism industry is expanding with
increasing number of tourists visiting the country. Bangladesh government has
also formed a tourism board in 2010 for promoting the country as a tourist
destination in the world and often holds travel fairs in many European and
Asian countries like Germany, UK, Spain, Japan, Singapore, and China.