Bangladesh Profile

Bangladesh Profile

Geography

Area: 143,998 sq. km. (55,813 sq. mi.); about the size of Wisconsin. Cities: Capital--Dhaka (pop. 10 million). Other cities--Chittagong (2.8 million), Khulna (1.8 million), Rajshahi (1 million). Terrain: Mainly flat alluvial plain, with hills in the northeast and southeast. Climate: Semitropical, monsoonal.

People

Nationality: Noun and adjective--Bangladeshi(s). Population: Approximately 128 million. Annual growth rate: 1.6%. Ethnic groups: Bengali 98%, tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims. Religions: Muslim 88%; Hindu 11%; Christian, Buddhist, others 1%. Languages: Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English. Education: Attendance--75.1% (primary school), 21.6% (secondary school). Literacy: 50% for males; 27% for females, a total of 38.9% literacy. Health: Infant mortality rate--81/1,000. Life expectancy--58 years (male), 58 years (female). Work force: (54.6 million): Agriculture--63%; industry--12%; services--25%.

Government

Type: Parliamentary democracy. Independence: 1971, from Pakistan. Constitution: 1972; amended 1974, 1979, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1996. Branches: Executive--president (chief of state), prime minister (head of government), cabinet. Legislative--unicameral Parliament (330 members). Judicial--civil court system based on British model. Administrative subdivisions: Divisions, districts, subdistricts, unions, villages. Political parties: 30-40 active political parties. Suffrage: Universal at age 18.

Economy

Annual GDP growth rate (1998-99): 4.2%. Per capita GDP (2000 projected): $354. Natural resources: Natural gas, fertile soil, water. Agriculture (30% of GDP): Products--rice, jute, tea, sugar, wheat. Land--cultivable area cropped at rate of 176% in 1997; largely subsistence farming dependent on monsoonal rainfall, but growing commercial farming and increasing use of irrigation. Industry (20% of GDP): Types--garments and knitwear, jute goods, frozen fish and seafood, textiles, fertilizer, sugar, tea, leather, shipbreaking for scrap, pharmaceuticals, ceramic tableware, newsprint. Trade (1999): Merchandise exports--$5.4 billion: garments and knitwear, frozen fish, jute and jute goods, leather and leather products, tea, urea fertilizer, ceramic tableware. Exports to U.S. (1999): $1.918. Merchandise imports--$8.6 billion: capital goods, foodgrains, petroleum, textiles, chemicals, vegetable oils. Imports from U.S. (1999)--$275 million.

Sources: U.S. Department of State, March 2000 Bureau of South Asian Affairs

Grammar Kills Your English Speaking

Grammar Kills Your English Speaking

“How You Will Speak Excellent English
In 6 Months Or Less”

Dear Friend,

Do you feel embarrassed when you speak English? Is your pronunciation bad? Do you make a lot of grammar mistakes when you speak?

Do people have trouble understanding you? Do they seem confused when you speak English?

Is it difficult for you to understand native speakers? Do you feel frustrated because you still can’t understand English speakers easily?

You have studied English for years. You read English well, but when its time to speak– you feel nervous, foolish, embarrassed, and shy when speaking English.

Is it possible that you will never speak English well?

Are you angry that you studied for years but still cannot speak English easily?

What is wrong? Have you wasted all of your study time? Have you wasted all of your English vocabulary? Will you ever speak English easily?

Will you ever feel relaxed and happy when you speak English?

*** Note: *** নিচের শব্দগুলো Dictionary থেকে খুজেঁ বের করুন এবং সঠিক উচ্চারণ ও অর্থ জেনে নিন।

embarrassed (শুদ্ধ উচ্চারণ) = অর্থ; pronunciation () = ; confused () = ; frustrated () =; nervous () = ; foolish () = ; vocabulary () =

গাজায় ইসরাইলী আগ্রাসন ও হামলা বন্ধ করো...

সর্বশেষ তথ্য মতে, ফিলিস্তিনের গাজায় ইতিমধ্যে ইসরাইলী বর্বর হামলায় সাত সহস্রাধিক শিশু-কিশোর, নারী ও পুরুষ প্রাণ হারিয়েছেন। সবচেয়ে বেশী নিহত ও আহত হয়েছে শিশুরা। এই মানবতা বিরোধী ও অবৈধ হামলার মুল শিকার নারী ও শিশু; পরবর্তী প্রজন্মকে নিশ্চিন্হ করে দেয়া। আসুন, ইসরাইলের এই বর্বর, ঘৃণিত ও অবৈধ আগ্রাসন এবং হামলার বিরুদ্ধে সোচ্চার হই।