The People's Republic of Bangladesh

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION

It lies between 20° 34' and 26° 38' North Latitude
and 88° 01' and 92° 41' East Longitude

BOUNDARY

On three sides- East, North and West-India. South-East Myanmar. South-Bay of Bengal

AREA

147,570 sq km

POPULATION

Approximately 141 million

ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS

Country is divided into six Administrative Divisions.
These are Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi,
Barisal and Sylhet. Each Division is divided into
districts

TOTAL DISTRICTS

64

CAPITAL

Dhaka

OTHER MAJOR CITIES

Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet & Barisal

GOVERNMENT

Parliamentary form of government. The President is
Head of the state, while the government is headed
by the Prime Minister

BUSINESS HOURS

The official working hours in Bangladesh are from
9:00 am to 5:00 pm from Sunday to Thursday.
Friday and Saturday are weekly holidays

BEST TOURIST SEASON

October - March

PLACES OF TOURIST INTEREST

Dhaka, Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Kaptai,
Rangamati, Khagrachari, Bandarban, Kuakata,
Bogra, Khulna, the Sundarbans, Sylhet, Rajshahi,
Dinajpur and Comilla

LANGUAGE

Bangla-Official Language, English-Second language
and widely spoken

LITERACY RATE

67 percent approximate

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Public Universities: 18
Private Universities: 36
Colleges: 3,639
Polytechnic Institutes: 27
Medical Colleges: 25
Dental Colleges: 3
Secondary Schools: 21,665
Primary Schools: 78,363

LABOUR FORCE

60.3 million
Male: 37.5 million
Female: 22.8 million

SECTORAL DISTRIBUTION OF LABOUR FORCE

Agriculture: 62.3 percent
Industry: 7.6 percent
Others: 30.1percent

RELIGION

4 major religions: Islam, Hinduism,
Christianity & Buddhism
Muslim: 88 percent of total population

ECONOMY

Unit of Currency: Taka (Tk)
(US$ 1 - Appx. 68 Taka)
Notes in Circulation: Tk. 500, Tk. 100, Tk. 50,
Tk. 20, Tk. 10, Tk. 5, Tk. 2.
GDP at Current Price:
Tk. 303206 million - US$4380 million
per Capita GNI: US$520
Industrial Growth (at FY '96 Constant Price):
7.3 percent
Inflation Rate: 6.1 percent
Investment Rate: 24.33 percent of GDP
National Savings Rate: 29.15 percent of GDP
Exports (US$) in 2006-07: US$ 12,177.86 million

TIME

GMT +6 Hours
Seasons: Summer, Monsoon, Autumn, Late
Autumn, Winter and Spring
Climate: Tropical and moderate
Rainfall: 1100mm to 3400mm (June- Aug)
Principal Rivers: Padma, Meghna, Jamuna,
Karnaphuli, Surma and Brahmaputra
Principal Crops: Paddy, Wheat, Jute, Sugarcane,
Tobacco and Pulses

PRINCIPAL EXPORTS

Ready made garments, Knitwear, Jute and Jute
goods, Shrimps, Leather and Leather goods,
Tea, Handicrafts, Agricultural products, Ceramic,
Pharmaceuticals, Light Engineering Products, etc.

PRINCIPAL IMPORTS

Petroleum & Lubricants, Chemicals, Cement,
Capital Machinery, Machinery parts, Tinned and
Bagged Milk powder, Edible oil, Automobiles,
electronics etc.

PRINCIPAL INDUSTRIES

Jute, Textile, Leather, Garments, Chemical, Fertilizer,
Shrimp Processing, Sugar, Cement, Paper, Pharma,
Engineering etc

AIRPORTS

Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Jessore, Rajshahi,
Saidpur, Barisal and Cox's Bazar

RADIO STATIONS

Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet and
Rangpur

TELEVISION STATIONS

Dhaka and Chittagong

SATELLITE EARTH STATIONS

Talibabad (Dhaka), Betbunia (Rangamati)