Bangladesh - Basic Information

Location and Geography

Bangladesh emerged as an independent and sovereign country in 1971 following a long nine months of sanguinary War of Liberation under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The country is one of the largest deltas of the world with a total area of 147,570 sq km. It stretches between 20º34' and 26º38' north latitude and between 88º01' and 92º41' east longitude. In its north and west is India, and on its east is India and Myanmar. Bay of Bengal lies on the south.

History

Bangladesh has a glorious history and rich heritage. Once it was known as 'Sonar Bangla' or the 'Golden Bengal'. The territory now constituting Bangladesh was under the Muslim rule for over five and a half centuries from 1201 to 1757 AD. Subsequently, it came under the British rule following the defeat of the sovereign ruler, Nawab Sirajuddaula, at the battle of Palassey on 23 June 1757. The British ruled over the Indian subcontinent including this land for nearly 190 years from 1757 to 1947. During that period, Bangladesh was a part of the British Indian provinces of Bengal and Assam. With the termination of British rule in August 1947, the sub-continent was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Bangladesh was a part of Pakistan and was called 'East Pakistan'. It remained so for about 24 years from August 14, 1947 to March 25, 1971.

Climate

Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon-type climate, with a hot and rainy summer and a dry winter. The climate is one of the wettest in the world. Most places receive more than 1,525 mm of rain a year. Most rains occur during the monsoon (June-September) and little in winter (November- February). Bangladesh has warm temperatures throughout the year, with relatively little variation from month to month. January tends to be the coolest month and May the warmest. In Dhaka, the average January temperature is about 19°C (about 66°F), and the average May temperature is about 29°C (about 84°F)

Administration

Administratively, Bangladesh is divided into 6 Divisions, 64 Districts, 6 City Corporations, 308 Municipalities, 482 Upazilas and 4498 Unions. The six administrative divisions are namely, Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet. The country is governed by the Parliamentary Democracy and it has a unitary National Parliament, named Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad. There are 40 Ministries and 12 Divisions. The Ministry of Local Govt. Rural Development & Cooperatives (MoLGRDC) is one of the largest ministries of the Government of the Peoples’ Republic of Bangladesh (GoB). MoLGRDC has the responsibility of policy formulation for, planning and oversight of, and providing assistance to Local Govt. Bodies. The Local Govt. Bodies in the urban areas, namely the City Corporations (6) and the Municipalities (308) have been allocated by the GOB, the business of primary health care services delivery to the urban population. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) as the Ministry responsible for managing the Health and Population sector of Bangladesh plays the supportive role to MoLGRDC in providing the primary health care services in the urban areas through the urban Local Govt. Bodies.

Economy

Bangladesh has an agrarian economy, although the share of agriculture in GDP has been decreasing over the last two decades. Yet it dominates the economy providing jobs to the rural labour force. From marketing point of view, Bangladesh has been following a mixed economy that operates on free market principles. The growth rate of GDP of Bangladesh is 5.88% and the per capita income is US$ 690 during 2008-2009. The principal industries of the country include readymade garments, jute goods, textiles, chemical fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, tea processing, sugar, leather goods and ceramics etc.

Communication

The transport system of Bangladesh consists of roads, railways, inland waterways, two sea ports, maritime shipping and civil aviation catering for both domestic and international traffic. Presently there are about 21,000 km of paved roads; 2,706 route-kilometres of railways (BG-884 km and MG -1,822 km); 3,800 km of perennial waterways which increases to 6,000 km during the monsoon, 2 seaports (Chittagong and Mongla), and 3 international airports (Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet) and 8 domestic airports. Along with the development of road transport, efforts are under way to develop the water transport system. The country is covered with a network of rivers and canals forming a maze of interconnecting channels. Rivers are still the lifeline of the nation and are the cheapest means of transport. Dhaka is connected by air with many global cities by the national airline (Biman Bangladesh Airlines). A number of foreign airlines operate their international services with a link to Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet.

Religion and Culture

The majority (about 88%) of the people are Muslim. Over 98% of the people speak in Bangla. English, however, is widely spoken. Bangladesh is heir to a rich cultural legacy. In two thousand or more years of its chequered history, many illustrious dynasties of kings and Sultans ruled the country and have left their marks in the shape of cities and monuments. Apart from this, the century old cultural traditions can be viewed in innumerable tangible and intangible heritages. The people of Bangladesh are very simple and friendly. A beautiful communal harmony among the different religions has ensured a very congenial atmosphere.

Population and Demography

Bangladesh is now Asia's fifth and world's seventh populous country with an estimated population of about 146 million. Density of population is around 979 per square kilometer, the highest in the world. Rural population comprises about 74% while urban constitutes about 26%. There has been rapid urbanization during the last three decades. Adult literacy rate is 54% (2006). Census of 2001 reveals that 43 per cent of the population is below 15 years of age. This young age structure constitutes built-in population momentum. Urban population is increasing faster. Though Bangladesh has made progress in reducing poverty and per capita income has been creeping up, a substantial number of population are poor. Progress made in improving Bangladesh's Human Development Index (HDI) has placed her among the medium-ranking HDI countries. Strong policy interventions led to continuous reduction in the annual growth rate of population from the level of 2.33 % in 1981 to 1.54 in 2001 and further to 1.48 (2007). The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) also went down from 3.4 (1993-94) to 2.7 (2007). The CPR (any method) increased from 44.6% in 1993-94 to 58.1% in 2004, but again fell down to 56.8% in 2007. Life expectancy at birth has continuously been rising, and is now 66 years (2008) from the level of 58 (1994). Reversing past trends, women now live longer than men. The country, however, is being over burdened with about two million new faces every year creating extra pressure on food, shelter, education, health, employment, etc., and thus making the anticipated economic growth difficult.

Health Status

Since independence, Bangladesh has made significant progress in health outcomes. Infant and Child mortality rates have been markedly reduced. The under five mortality rate in Bangladesh declined from 151 deaths per thousand live births in 1991 to 65 deaths/1000 live births in 2007 and during the same period infant mortality rate reduced from 94 deaths per 1000 live births to 52. EPI coverage extended its reach from 54% in 1991 to 87.2% in 2006.The MMR reduced from 574/100,000 live births in 1991 to 290 in 2007. Deliveries attended by skilled birth attendants increased from only 5% in 1990 to 20% in 2006. The prevalence of malaria dropped from 42 cases /100,000 in 2001 to 34 in 2005. Bangladesh has also achieved significant success in halting and reversing the spread of tuberculosis (TB). Detection of TB by the Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) has more than doubled between 2002 and 2007, from 34 to 92%. The successful treatment of tuberculosis was 91% in 2007. Polio and Leprosy are virtually eliminated. HIV prevalence is still very low. Development of countrywide network of health care infrastructure in public sector is remarkable. However, availability of drugs at the health facilities, deployment of adequate health professionals along with maintenance of the health care facilities remain as critical issues, impacting on optimum utilization of public health facilities

Nutrition Status

There has been considerable progress in reducing malnutrition and micro-nutrient deficiencies in Bangladesh. According to BDHS, percentage of U5 underweight (6-59 months) has reduced to 46.3 (2007) from 67 (1990) and that of U5 stunted (24-59 months) from 54.6 (1996) to 36.2 (2007). Percentage of children 1-5 years receiving vitamin-A supplements has increased from 73.3 (1999-00) to 88.3 (2007). The rate of night blindness has reduced to 0.04 per 1000 people (IPHN, HKI 2006). However, in spite of efforts taken by the government, high rates of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies along with gender discrimination remain common in Bangladesh.

Urban Health Service

The urban areas provide a contrasting picture of availability of different facilities and services. While the secondary and tertiary level health care facilities are almost all located in the urban areas, primary health care facilities and services for the urban population at large and the urban poor in particular are significantly inadequate. Rapid influx of migrants from rural areas and the population growth has resulted in the phenomenal rise in the number of people living in urban slums in large cities. These are creating continuous pressure on urban health care services delivery. Since the launching of two urban primary health care projects by Local Govt. Division, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, the primary health care services have been delivered by the city corporations and municipalities through contracted NGOs in the project' area. Rest of the urban areas and services are being covered by MoHFW's facilities and their affiliated NGOs.