Bangladesh

D

Local Government

Bangladesh is administered in six divisions—Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, and Sylhet. Smaller units of government include unions, which are groups of villages with popularly elected councils; thanas (groups of unions); and, administratively most important, zillas (districts), which are groups of thanas.

E

Health and Welfare

Health and welfare services in Bangladesh are limited. The country had more than 22,000 trained doctors (1 per 5,260 people), and more than 900 state and private hospitals in 1993. Infant mortality in 2007 was 59 per 1,000 live births. Much of the welfare work in the country is administered by voluntary organizations, and Bangladesh is a major recipient of assistance from abroad.

F

Defence

Military service in Bangladesh is voluntary. In 2004 the nation had an army of 110,000 personnel, a navy of 9,000, and an air force of 6,500.

G

International Organizations

Bangladesh is a member of the United Nations (UN), the Commonwealth of Nations, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Colombo Plan, and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

VI

History

For the history of the territory prior to 1947, see India; Pakistan.

Following the partition of India in 1947, the area of Bangladesh became a province of Pakistan, initially known as East Bengal, and then, from 1955, as East Pakistan. The people of East Pakistan Province declared their independence as the nation of Bangladesh on March 26, 1971, while fighting a savage war against the central Pakistani government. The separation from Pakistan took place, with extensive aid from India, on December 16, 1971, as a result of the third Indo-Pakistan War. Bangladesh was soon recognized by most other nations, although Pakistan withheld diplomatic recognition until 1974 and China did not recognize the nation until 1976. Bangladesh was admitted to the UN in 1974.

The country’s initial government was formed in January 1972 under the charismatic leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, known as Mujib, who became prime minister. His immediate tasks were to rebuild the war-ravaged nation, re-establish law and order, and reintegrate the numerous Bengalis returning from India. A longer-range goal was to foster economic growth in order to raise the very low living standards of the densely populated nation. In the first years of independence, Bangladesh received much aid from abroad, and Mujib nationalized major industries as part of his programme of developing the country along the lines of democratic socialism. He had little success, however, in improving the economy, and lawlessness prevailed.