Introduction: Europeans began to set up trading posts in the area of Bangladesh in the 16th century; eventually the British came to dominate the region and it became part of British India. In 1947, West Pakistan and East Bengal (both primarily Muslim) separated from India (largely Hindu) and jointly became the new country of Pakistan. East Bengal became East Pakistan in 1955, but the awkward arrangement of a two-part country with its territorial units separated by 1,600 km left the Bengalis marginalized and dissatisfied. East Pakistan seceded from its union with West Pakistan in 1971 and was renamed Bangladesh. A military-backed, emergency caretaker...

See More from the CIA World Factbook
on Bangladesh →

Economic Overview: Bangladesh’s economy grew by 6.4 per cent in 2010, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecast GDP growth in Bangladesh at 6.3 per cent in 2011. The Bangladesh economy has grown at an average rate of 5 to 6 per cent per year since 1996. However, Bangladesh’s growth rate remains significantly below the levels required to meet the millennium target of halving the number of people below the poverty line by 2015. The Bangladesh economy benefits from strong inflows of foreign aid and remittances.

Sustained economic growth and inwards investment have contributed to a gradual increase in the relative weighting of ...

See More from Australia's Country Briefs
on Bangladesh →