Overview of the Bangladeshi Economy

Bangladesh: Key Facts

Bangladesh is an agricultural country, with some three-fifths of the population engaged in farming. Jute and tea are principal sources of foreign exchange. Other important agricultural products are wheat, pulses (leguminous plants, such as peas, beans, and lentils), sweet potatoes, oilseeds of various kinds, sugarcane, tobacco, and fruits such as bananas, mangoes, and pineapples. Agriculture has in the past been wholly dependent upon the vagaries of the monsoon. A poor monsoon has always meant poor harvests and the threat of famine. Among the remedial measures adopted has been the construction of a number of irrigation projects designed to control floods and to conserve rainwater for use in the dry months. The most important are the Karnaphuli Multipurpose Project in the southeast, the Tista Barrage Project in the north, and the Ganges-Kabadak Project, to serve the southwestern part of the country.

Area: 143,998 sq km Land boundaries: Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km Population: 142.3 million (Based on 2010 preliminary census data) Median age: 23.3 years Ethnic groups: Bengali 98%, other 2% (includes tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims) Religions: Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998) Literacy: 47.9% of total population age 15 and over Head of state: President Zillur RAHMAN (since 12 February 2009) Head of government: Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA Wajed (since 6 January 2009) Most recent election results : AL 49%, BNP 33.2%, JP 7%, JIB 4.6%, other 6.2%; seats by party: AL 230, BNP 30, JP 27, JIB 2, other 11

GDP (nominal): $99.822 billion (2010)