Geographic Details

DEMOGRAPHICS:  There are about 127 mil people in Bangladesh
Age structure:                                     Birth/Death Rates

0-14: 38%(1.06 male(s)/female) 15-64: 59%(1.05 male(s)/female)  65 + : 3%(1.2 male(s)/female)  Population growth rate: 1.59%

Infants:69.68 deaths/1,000 births  Birth rate: 25.2 births/1,000 pop  Death rate: 8.5 deaths/1,000 pop Net migration : -0.79/1,000 pop

Life expectancy at birth: 60.6 years (male: 60.73 years, female: 60.46 years)
Total fertility rate: 2.86 children born/woman (1999 est.) 
Ethnic groups: Bengali 98%, Biharis 250,000, tribals less than 1 million 
Religions: Muslim 88.3%, Hindu 10.5%, other 1.2% 
Languages: Bangla (official), English 
38% of those age 15+ can read and write (male 49%, female 26%)

Formerly called East Pakistan, the republic of Bangladesh celebrates its independence on December 16 for its 1971 celebration from Pakistan. There are 5 administrative divisions: Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, and one that is sometimes considered a division: Sylhet.  The national holiday, Independence Day, is 26 March (1971). although the constitution was formed on November 4, 1972, and effective 16 December 1972.  The constitution was  suspended following the coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986, and amended many times. The legal system is based on English common law, and the age of sufrage is 18.
Executive branch: 
Chief of state: President Shahabuddin AHMED (October 9, 1996); Duties are ceremonial, but becomes significant at times when Parliament is dissolved and a caretaker government is installed at presidential direction to supervise the elections.
Head of government: Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA Wajed (June 23, 1996) 
Cabinet selected by the prime minister and appointed by the president 
Elections: president elected by National Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 24 July 1996 (next to be held by October 2001). Following legislative elections, the leader of the party that wins the most seats is usually appointed prime minister by the president 
Legislative branch: 
Unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad (330 seats; 300 elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies, 30 seats reserved for women; members serve five-year terms) 
Elections: last held 12 June 1996 (next to be held NA 2001) 
election results: percent of vote by party: AL 33.87%, BNP 30.87%; seats by party—AL 178, BNP 113, JP 33, JI 3,
The elections of 12 June 1996 brought to power an Awami League government for the first time in twenty-one years; held under a neutral, caretaker administration, the elections were characterized by a peaceful,
orderly process and massive voter turnout, ending a bitter 2 year impasse between the former BNP and opposition parties that had paralyzed National Parliament and led to widespread street violence
Judicial branch: 
Supreme Court, the Chief Justices and other judges are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Khaleda ZIAur Rahman]; Awami League or AL
[Sheikh HASINA Wajed]; Jatiyo Party or JP [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD]; Jamaat-E-Islami or JI [Motiur Rahman
NIZAMI]; Bangladesh Communist Party or BCP [Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK] 
International participation: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNOMIL, UNPREDEP, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO 
 

Diplomatic representation  US: Ambassador Khwaja Mohammad SHEHABUDDIN 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 342-8372 consulates general: LA and NY

Diplomatic representation from US:  Ambassador John C. HOLZMAN  Diplomatic Enclave, Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212  mailing address: G.P.O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000  telephone: [880] (2) 884700  FAX: [880] (2) 883744

The military has three branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces. Available military manpower (males ages 15-49) is 33 million, 19 million of which are fit for service. The military spent $559 million  in FY96/97, which was 1.8% of GDP. 
The 1998 government budget included $3.8 billion in revenues and $5.5 billion in expenditures, including capital expenditures.  Fiscal year: 1 July—30 June