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Places in News: Bangladesh
Context:
Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel laureate, has been named as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government.
Overview of the Country:
- Bangladesh is a country in South Asia, situated in the delta of the Padma (Ganges) and Jamuna (Brahmaputra) rivers in the northeastern part of the Indian subcontinent.
- Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India.
- Land Boundaries: Total 4,413 km (Burma 271 km; India 4,142 km)
- The Indian states that border Bangladesh are:West Bengal, Assam ,Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura.
- Capital: Dhaka
- Language: Bengali
- Form of Government: Unitary multiparty republic with one legislative house.
Geography:
- Deltaic Plain: Bangladesh constitutes the eastern two-thirds of the deltaic plain of the Padma and Jamuna rivers, characterised by flat alluvial plains and fertile deltaic regions.
- Highest Point: Saka Haphong in the Mowdok mountain range.
- Notable Areas: Barind and Madhupur Tracts, Sylhet and Chittagong Hills, Sundarban.
- Important Rivers: The Jamuna (part of theBrahmaputra) is the longest, Padma,Meghna,Karnaphuli,Teesta River.
- Economy: The economy has grown at an annual average of 6.25% over the last two decades.
Background:
- Pre-Independence History: The region, known as Bengal, was influenced by various empires, with significant Muslim conversions starting in the 10th century.
- The British East India Company established trading posts in the 16th century. Bengal was part of British India, and after the 1947 partition, it became East Pakistan.It gained independence in 1971 after a movement led by the Awami League (AL) and support from India.
- Post-independence, it experienced several military coups before stabilising into a democratic system with the AL under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2008.
- August 6, 2024: Bangladesh’s president dissolved parliament, clearing the way for elections following the ousting of the previous leader.