National song Bangla Version English Type

Amar Sonar Bangla Ami Tomai Bhalobashi Chirodeen Tomar Akash Tomar Batash Amar Prane Bajae Bashi. O Ma, Fagune Tore Amer Bone Ghrane Pagal Kore… Mori Hi, Hi Re….. Oh Ma, Aghrane Tore Dhaner Khete Aami Ki Dekhesi Modhur Hashi Ki Shova, Ki Shhaya Go Ki Sneho Ki Maya Go Ki Achol Bichhayechho Boter Mule Nadir Kule Kule. Ma Tore Mukher Bani Amar Kane Lage Sudhar Moto..... Mori Hai. Hai Re------- Ma Tore Badaankhani Molin Hole. Oh Ma Ami Noyon Jole Bhashi.

(English Version of The National Song)

Amar Sonar BanglaMy golden Bengal O Sonar Bangla, my land of "gold." So dearly I love thee Eternally your skies, each breeze Plays melodies in me! When Spring across our country roves The fragrance of your mango groves Drives me mad with ecstasy! When "Sraban nears, your autumn yields Fill each and every crop-laden field With honeyed smiles for me to see… And in your beauty, soothing shade, Such Love and tenderness Pervade. And how wondrous the verdant tapestry. You have laid by rivers running free Underneath the spreading Banyan trees. O mother mine, each word of yours Is “nectar` tome! ...So when your loving face appears Jinged with sadness, far or near, My eyes, they float in tears.... (English version : Zahid Lablu)

জাতীয় সংগীত বাংলা উচ্চারণ

আমার সোনার বাংলা আমি তোমায় ভালোবাসি চিরদিন তোমার আকাশ তোমার বাতাস আমার প্রাণে বাজায় বাঁশী। ও মা, ফাল্গুনে তোর আমের বনে ঘ্রাণে পাগল করে- মরি হায়, হায় রে- ও মা অঘ্রানে তোর ভরা েেত আমি কি দেখেছি মধুর হাসি ।। কী শোভা কী ছায়া গো, কী øেহ কী মায়া গো, কী আচল বিছায়েছ বটের মূলে, নদীর কূলে কূলে। মা তোর মুখের বাণী আমার কানে লাগে সুধার মতো- মরি হায়, হায় রে- মা তোর বদন খানি মলিন হলে, ও মা আমি নয়ন জলে ভাসি ।।

Listen to the music of the National Anthem in midi format.

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Bangladesh Overview

Official Name

The People's Republic Of Bangladesh

Capital

Dhaka (Area 414 sq. km. Master plan 777 sq.km.)  

Currency

Currency unit is Taka. Notes are  of 1,2,5,10,20,50,100 and 500 Taka. Coins are of 1,5,10,25,50 and 100 Poisha (100 Poisha = 1 Taka)  

Language

Bangla is the state language. English is also widely spoken and understood. Arabic is read and spoken for religious purposes

Population

Total estimated population 130 million.  

Religions

Muslim 88.3%, Hindu 10.5%, others 1.2%  

Area

Total: 144,000 sq km
Land: 133,910 sq km
Water: 10,090 sq km  

Location

Latitude from 20 degree 34' to 26 degree 38' north. Longitude from 88 degree 01' to 92 degree 41' east.  

Boundary

Bounded by India from the north, east and west, Burma from the south-east and the Bay of Bengal from the south .  

Climate

Tropical; cool, dry winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); cool, rainy monsoon (June to October)  

Rainfall

Lowest 47" and highest 136"  

National Days

National Martyrs Day ( February 21) 

Independence Day ( March 26 )

Victory Day ( December 16)  

Principal Rivers

Padma, Meghna, Jamuna, Brahmaputra, Madhumati, Surma and Kushiara  

Principal Crops

Rice, jute, tobacco, tea, sugarcane, vegetables, potato, pulses, etc.  

Fruits

Mango, banana, pineapple, jack-fruit, water-melon, green coconut, guava, lichis, etc.  

Major Industries

Jute, sugar, paper, textiles, fertilizers, cigarette, cement, steel, natural gas, oil-refinery, newsprint, power generation, rayon, matches, fishing and food processing, leather, soap, carpet, timber, ship-building, telephone, etc.  

Airports

Zia International Airport, Dhaka, 

Chittagong International Airport, 

Sylhet International Airport 

and domestic airports at Jessore, Sylhet, Cox's Bazar, Rajshahi and Saidpur  

Sea Ports

Chittagong

Mongla

Tourist Interests

Longest sea beach, colorful tribal life, centuries' old archeological sites, the Sundarbans (home of the Royal Bengal Tigers and spotted deer), largest tea gardens, interesting riverine life, etc.

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Bangladesh – Religion and Education

Religion:

There are mainly four religions in Bangladesh. According to the 2001 census, the religious profile of the population is: Islam 89.7%, Hinduism 9.2%, Buddhism 0.7%, Christianity 0.3% and others (such as Animists) 0.1%. Most of the people of Bangladesh are Muslim but Bangladesh is a secular state, however the United Nations has recognised the country as mainly moderate Muslim democratic country.

 Islam in Bangladesh:

Islam is the main religion of Bangladesh. About 145.3 million people are Muslim of total population of Bangladesh.

Islam arrived to the region of Bengal since the 13th century, mainly by the arrivals of Arab traders, Persian Saints and conquests of the region. One of the notable Muslim saint was, Shah Jalal. He arrived in the region of Sylhet in 1303 with many other disciples to preach the religion to the people.

The majority of the Muslims are Sunni consisting of 95% of the Muslim population, who mainly follow the Hanafi school of thought and the remaining are Shi’a and Ahmadiyya. Most of those who are Shia reside in urban areas. Although these Shias are few in number, Shia observance commemorating the martyrdom of Ali’s sons, Hasan and Husayn, is widely observed by the nation’s Sunnis. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, which is claimed to be non-Muslim by mainstream Muslim leaders, is estimated to be around 100,000, the community has faced discrimination because of their belief and have been persecuted in some areas. The Tablighi Jamaat has also a large following, the Bishwa Ijtema (World Congregation) is an event held annually by Tablighi Jamaat which focuses on prayers and meditation, attracting 5 million people from across Bangladesh and South Asia.

Hinduism in Bangladesh:

According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, there are 11,379,000 Hindus in Bangladesh. Hinduism is the second religion of Bangladesh which is about 9.2% of total population.

Hindu ethics generally center on the principle of ahimsa, noninjury to living creatures–especially the cow, which is held sacred. The principle is expressed in almost universally observed rules against eating beef. By no means are all Hindus vegetarians, but abstinence from all kinds of meat is regarded as a “higher” virtue. High-caste Bangladeshi Hindus, unlike their counterparts elsewhere in South Asia, ordinarily eat fish.

On the level of the little tradition, Hinduism admits worship of spirits and godlings of rivers, mountains, vegetation, animals, stones, or disease. Ritual bathing, vows, and pilgrimages to sacred rivers, mountains, shrines, and cities are important practices. An ordinary Hindu will worship at the shrines of Muslim pirs, without being concerned with the religion to which that place is supposed to be affiliated. Hindus revere many holy men and ascetics conspicuous for their bodily mortifications. Some people believe they attain spiritual benefit merely by looking at a great holy man.

Common among Hindus is the acceptance of the caste system as the structure of society. For virtually all Hindus, even those in revolt against some aspects of the system, caste is taken for granted as the way of life. To be considered Hindu, a group must identify itself in some way as a unit in the caste hierarchy. One cannot join a caste; one is born into it and lives, marries, and dies in it.

Hindus in Bangladesh in the late 1980s were almost evenly distributed in all regions, with concentrations in Khulna, Jessore, Dinajpur, Faridpur, and Barisal. The contributions of Hindus in arts and letters were far in excess of their numerical strength. In politics, they had traditionally supported the liberal and secular ideology of the Awami League.

Buddhism in Bangladesh:

About 0.07% of total population of Bangladesh are Buddhist. Buddhism is the third religion in Bangladesh.

In subsequent centuries and up through the 1980s nearly all the remaining Buddhists lived in the region around Chittagong, which had not been entirely conquered until the time of the British Raj (1858-1947; see Glossary). In the Chittagong Hills, Buddhist tribes formed the majority of the population, and their religion appeared to be a mixture of tribal cults and Buddhist doctrines. According to the 1981 census, there were approximately 538,000 Buddhists in Bangladesh, representing less than 1 percent of the population.

The ethical teachings of the Buddha, Siddartha Gautama (ca. 550-486 B.C.), stress a middle path between physical indulgence and ascetic mortification. The practice of Buddhism is concerned with salvation rather than with metaphysical speculation. Salvation consists of freeing oneself from the cycle of rebirth into lives of evil, pain, and sorrow; to accomplish this, one must renounce society and live a simple life of self-discipline. Those who renounce society often are organized into one of the many monastic orders.

There are several monasteries in the Chittagong Hills area, and in most Buddhist villages there is a school (kyong) where boys live and learn to read Burmese and some Pali (an ancient Buddhist scriptural language). It is common for men who have finished their schooling to return at regular intervals for periods of residence in the school. The local Buddhist shrine is often an important center of village life.

Essentially tolerant, Buddhism outside the monastic retreats has absorbed and adapted indigenous popular creeds and cults of the regions to which it has spread. In most areas religious ritual focuses on the image of the Buddha, and the major festivals observed by Buddhists in Bangladesh commemorate the important events of his life. Although doctrinal Buddhism rejects the worship of gods and preserves the memory of the Buddha as an enlightened man, popular Buddhism contains a pantheon of gods and lesser deities headed by the Buddha.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs provides assistance for the maintenance of Buddhist places of worship and relics. The ancient monasteries at Paharpur (in Rajshahi Region) and Mainamati (in Comilla Region), dating from the seventh to ninth century A.D., are considered unique for their size and setting and are maintained as state-protected monuments.

Christianity in Bangladesh:

Christianity is the fourth religion in Bangladesh and about 0.3% of total population are Christians.

Christianity’s first contact with the Indian subcontinent is attributed to the Apostle Thomas, who is said to have preached in southern India. Although Jesuit priests were active at the Mughal courts in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the first Roman Catholic settlements in what became Bangladesh appear to have been established by the Portuguese, coming from their center in Goa on the west coast of India. During the sixteenth century the Portuguese settled in the vicinity of Chittagong, where they were active in piracy and slave trading. In the seventeenth century some Portuguese moved to Dhaka.

Serious Protestant missionary efforts began only in the first half of the nineteenth century. Baptist missionary activities beginning in 1816, the Anglican Oxford Mission, and others worked mainly among the tribal peoples of the Low Hills in the northern part of Mymensingh and Sylhet regions. Many of the Christian churches, schools, and hospitals were initially set up to serve the European community. They subsequently became centers of conversion activities, particularly among the lower caste Hindus.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs provided assistance and support to the Christian institutions in the country. In the late 1980s, the government was not imposing any restrictions on the legitimate religious activities of the missions and the communities. Mission schools and hospitals were well attended and were used by members of all religions. The Christian community usually enjoyed better opportunities for education and a better standard of living. In the late 1980s, Christianity had about 600,000 adherents, mainly Roman Catholic, and their numbers were growing rapidly.

Education:

Literacy of Bangladesh:

Definition: age 15 and over can read and write

• About 43.1% of total population are literate.
• Male: 53.9%
• Female: 31.8% (2003 est.)

Education expenditures:

2.7% of GDP (2005)

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Ethnicity and Linguistic Diversity of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is noted for the ethnic homogeneity of its population. Over 98 percent of the people are Bengalis, predominantly Bangla-speaking peoples. People speaking Arabic, Persian, and Turkic languages also have contributed to the ethnic characteristics of the region.

A member of the Indo-European family of languages, Bangla (sometimes called Bengali) is the official language of Bangladesh. Bangladeshis closely identify themselves with their national language. Bangla has a rich cultural heritage in literature, music, and poetry, and at least two Bengali poets are well known in the West: Rabindranath Tagore, a Hindu and a Nobel laureate; and Kazi Nazrul Islam, a Muslim known as the “voice of Bengali nationalism and independence.” Bangla has been enriched by several regional dialects. The dialects of Sylhet, Chittagong, and Noakhali have been strongly marked by Arab-Persian influences.

 Biharis, a group that included Urdu-speaking non-Bengali Muslim refugees from Bihar and other parts of northern India, numbered about 1 million in 1971 but had decreased to around 600,000 by the late 1980s. They once dominated the upper levels of Bengali society. Many also held jobs on the railroads and in heavy industry. As such they stood to lose from Bangladesh independence and sided with Pakistan during the 1971 war. Hundreds of thousands of Biharis were repatriated to Pakistan after the war. As nearly 40 years has passed, two generations of Biharis have been born in the these camps. Biharis were granted Bangladeshi citizenhip and voting rights in 2008.

Bangladesh’s tribal population consisted of 897,828 persons, just over 1 percent of the total population, at the time of the 1981 census. They lived primarily in the Chittagong Hills and in the regions of Mymensingh, Sylhet, and Rajshahi. The majority of the tribal population (778,425) lived in rural settings, where many practiced shifting cultivation. Most tribal people were of SinoTibetan descent and had distinctive Mongoloid features. They differed in their social organization, marriage customs, birth and death rites, food, and other social customs from the people of the rest of the country. They spoke Tibeto-Burman languages. In the mid-1980s, the percentage distribution of tribal population by religion was Hindu 24, Buddhist 44, Christian 13, and others 19.

There is a small population of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar near the border in the southeast. There are 28,000 living in two UN refugee camps in Cox’s Bazaar as well as some 200,000 “unregistered people of concern” living outside of the camps.^[19] The refugee crisis originated in the early 1990s when the first wave numbering some 250,000 of the predominantly Muslim ethnic group fled persecution from their home in Rakhaine—Myanmar’s western-most state. Bangladesh seeks to repatriate the refugees back to Myanmar.

The four largest tribes were the Chakmas, Marmas (or Maghs), Tipperas (or Tipras), and Mros (or Moorangs). The tribes tended to intermingle and could be distinguished from one another more by differences in their dialect, dress, and customs than by tribal cohesion. Only the Chakmas and Marmas displayed formal tribal organization, although all groups contained distinct clans. By far the largest tribe, the Chakmas were of mixed origin but reflected more Bengali influence than any other tribe. Unlike the other tribes, the Chakmas and Marmas generally lived in the highland valleys. Most Chakmas were Buddhists, but some practiced Hinduism or animism.

The Tipperas were nearly all Hindus and accounted for virtually the entire Hindu population of the Chittagong Hills. They had migrated gradually from the northern Chittagong Hills. The northern Tipperas were influenced by Bengali culture. A small southern section known as the Mrungs showed considerably less Bengali influence.

Tribal groups in other parts of the country included Santals in Rajshahi and Dinajpur, and Khasis, Garos, and Khajons in Mymensingh and Sylhet regions. Primarily poor peasants, these people all belonged to groups in the adjoining tribal areas of India.

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Population of Bangladesh and Health of Bangladeshi People

The population of Bangladesh, population density, growth rate, death rate, birth rate, health of the Bangladeshi people etc are included here.

The people of Bangladesh are called Bangladeshi or the Nationality is Bangladeshi(s).

Population of Bangladesh:

Total population of Bangladesh is 156,050,883(July 2009 estimate).

Age structure:

• 0–14 years: 32.9% (male 24,957,997/female 23,533,894)

• 15–64 years: 63.6% (male 47,862,774/female 45,917,674)

• 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 2,731,578/female 2,361,435) (2006 est..)

Population growth rate of Bangladesh:

- 1.292% (2009 estimate)

Birth rate: 24.68 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population

Total fertility rate: 2.74 children born/woman

Sex/Gender Ratio of Bangladesh(2009 estimate):

Birth: 1.04 male/female

Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15–64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female

Total population: 0.93 male(s)/female

Health of Bangladeshi People:

Mortality rate/Death rate(2009 est.):

Total: 59.02 deaths/1,000 live births

Male: 66.12 deaths/1,000 live births

Female: 51.64 deaths/1,000 live births

Life Expectancy:

Average life of Bangladeshi People: 60.25 years

In case of Male: 57.57 years

In case of Female: 63.03 years

Major diseases in Bangladesh:

Infection: High Degree of risk.

Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever.

Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high risks in some locations.

Hiv/Aids in Bangladesh:

• Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
• People living with HIV/AIDS: 12,000 (2007 est.)
• Deaths: fewer than 500 (2007 est.)

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Bangladesh – People’s Republic of Bangladesh

The official name of Bangladesh is People’s Republic of Bangladesh, in Bangla or Bengali – গনপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশ। It is a small country in south Asia. The east, west and north of Bangladesh are bordered by India and a small border with Burma (Myanmar) to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south.

The borders of present-day Bangladesh were established with the partition of Bengal and India in 1947, when the region became East Pakistan, part of the newly formed nation of Pakistan. However, it was separated from the western wing by 1,600 km (994 mi) of Indian territory. Due to political exclusion, ethnic and linguistic discrimination, and economic neglect by the politically-dominant West Pakistan, popular agitation grew against West Pakistan and led to the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, which the Bengali people won against Pakistan and new country Bangladesh born. Today, Bangladesh is a secular, democratic republic.

The National Flag of Bangladesh

 Independence from Pakistan 

- Declared on March 26, 1971. 
- Victory Day – December 16, 1971

Area of Bangladesh
- Total – 147,570 km2 (94th)
Official Language – Bangla or Bengali and English.
Nationality – Bangladeshi.

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