Dr. Syed Mehboob
http//: www.thenewslark.com
Senior Research Editor
The News Lark, political and economic analyst
Bangladeshi people are hardworking, peace-loving, and hospitable. Since its independence in 1971, Bangladesh has witnessed many ups and downs, and the people of Bangladesh have been trying their best to achieve their goals of independence and move forward towards prosperity, development, progress, and stability. It is a story of more than half a century; they never tired or stopped, their journey continues.
The People’s Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia, the eighth most populous country in the world, and among the most densely populous country in the world with a population of over 174 million within an area of 148, 480 square kilometers. It shares land boundaries with India to the north, west, and east, and Myanmar to the southeast. It has a coastline along the Bay of Bengal to its south and is separated from Bhutan and Nepal by the Siliguri Corridor and from China by the Indian state of Sikkim to its north. Dhaka, the capital and the largest city of Bangladesh, is the nation’s political, financial, and cultural Centre. Chittagong is the second largest city and the busiest port of the country. Following the Muslim conquest in 1204, the region saw a Sultanate and Mughal empire. As the largest subdivision of the Mughal Empire, the region of Bengal emerged as one of the most prosperous and commercially active areas of the world, known for its thriving industry and agricultural productivity. In 1757, the British colonial role began. On 14th August 1947, after independence, it was “East Pakistan”. Due to discrimination and injustice by the rulers of West Pakistan, it got a separate identity with the name of Bangladesh on 16 December 1971. Post Independence, Sheikh Mujib Ur Rehamn led the country until his assassination in 1975. Presidency was later transferred to Zia ur Rahman, who was also assassinated in 1981. Then, Hussain Muhammad Ershad ruled the country, who was overthrown in a mass uprising in 1990. Then the country was ruled by two women, Begum Khaleda Zia and Hasina Wajid. Hasina Wajid was overthrown in a mass uprising in Augst 2024. Mr. Tarique Rehman was elected as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh after a landslide victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the February 2026 election.
The Constitution of Bangladesh was enacted on 4th November 1972. Following independence, the Mujib-led government engaged in large-scale corruption. Efforts to establish one-party socialism and a large famine in 1974 led to Mujib ur Rehman’s assassination in 1975, following a significant decline in his popularity. The presidency was then transferred to Mr. Zia ur Rahman, who reestablished public order, industrialized agriculture, and founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( BNP) and initiated the creation of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
Following the return of the Awami League to power after the 2009 general election, the country under Sheikh Hasina Wajid’s leadership saw economic progress but also witnessed democratic backsliding, increasing authoritarianism, and endemic corruption and widespread human rights abuses. According to various reports, Hasina and the Awami League Government. Aided by cooperation with India, organized the 2009 Bangladesh Rifles Revolt to kill capable army officers whom Hasina deemed a threat to her power, destabilizing the Bangladesh Army and solidifying de facto one-party rule. Sheikh Hasina won the second, third, and fourth elections consecutively in 2014, 2018, and 2024, which, according to independent sources, were neither free nor fair. Now, the people of Bangladesh, under the leadership of Tarque Rahman, are moving towards a stable democracy compatible with Islamic values, protecting minorities and women.
Since the early 1990s, driven by free market policies and economic liberalization measures, Bangladesh has achieved significant economic growth, emerging as one of the fastest growing economies in the world, driven by large textile industry, which is the second-largest in the world It has emerged as the second largest economy in South Asia, achieving comparable nominal GDP per capita to that of neighboring India. Bangladesh has achieved remarkable feats in reducing its poverty rate, which has gone down from 80% in 1971 to 44.2% in 1991 and all the way down to 18.7% in 2022. Its Human Development Index (HDI) growth during the 21st century was surpassed only by China. As part of the green transition, Bangladesh’s industrial sector emerged as a leader in building green factories, with the country having the largest number of certified green factories in the world. It has also given shelter to over a million Rohingya refugees fleeing the Rohingya genocide since 2017, which has strained its resources and highlighted its humanitarian commitments.
Bangladesh is in South Asia on the Bay of Bengal. It is surrounded almost entirely by neighboringIndia, and shares a small border with Myanmar to its southeast, though it lies very close to Nepal, Bhutan, and China. The country is divided into three regions. Most of the country is dominated by the fertile Ganges Delta, the largest river delta in the world. The northwest and central parts of the country are formed by the Madhupur and the Barindplateaus. The northeast and southeast are home to evergreen hill ranges.
The Ganges delta is formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers and their tributaries. The Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna, finally flowing into the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh is called the “Land of Rivers”, as it is home to over 57 transboundary rivers,more than any nation-state. Water issues are politically complicated since Bangladesh is downstream of India.
Bangladesh is predominantly rich, fertile flat land. Most of it is less than 12 m (39 ft) above sea level, and it is estimated that about 10% of its land would be flooded if the sea level were to rise by 1 m (3.3 ft).12% of the country is covered by hill systems. In Bangladesh , forest cover is around 14% of the total land area, equivalent to 1,883,400 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, down from 1,920,330 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 1,725,330 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 158,070 hectares (ha).Bangladesh is home to most of the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, covering an area of 6,000 square kilometers (2,300 sq mi) in the southwest littoral region. It is divided into three protected sanctuaries: the South East and the West. zones. The forest is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.The northeastern Sylhet region is home to haor wetlands, a unique ecosystem. It also includes tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, a freshwater tropical and subtropical coniferous forest, a freshwater swamp forest, and mixed deciduous forests. The southeastern Chittagong region covers evergreen and semi-evergreen hilly jungles.
Bangladesh, a country experiencing daily blackouts several times a day in 2009, achieved 100% electrification by 2022. It is gradually transitioning to a green economy and has the largest off-grid solar power program in the world, benefiting 20 million people.An electric car called the Palki is being developed for production in the country. Biogas is being used to produce organic fertiliser. The under-construction Rooper Nuclear Power Plant under-construction with assistance from the Russian company Rosatom, will be the first operational nuclear power plant in the country. Its first unit, out of the two total units, is expected to go into operation in 2025.
Bangladesh continues to have huge untapped reserves of natural gas, particularly in its maritime territory. A lack of exploration and decreasing proven reserves have forced Bangladesh to import LNG from abroad. Gas While government-owned companies in Bangladesh generate nearly half of Bangladesh’s electricity, privately owned companies like the Summit Group and Orion Group are playing an increasingly important role in both generating electricity and supplying machinery, reactors, and equipment.Bangladesh increased its electricity production capacity from 5 gigawatts in 2009 to 25.5 gigawatts in 2022. It plans to further increase it to 50 gigawatts by 2041. US companies like Chevron and General Electric supply around 55% of Bangladesh’s domestic natural gas production and are among the largest investors in power projects. 80% of Bangladesh’s installed gas-fired power generation capacity comes from turbines manufactured in the United States. (Continue)
