# 1976 in Bangladesh

1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1976th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 976th year of the 2nd millennium, the 76th year of the 20th century, and the 7th year of the 1970s decade.
The year 1976 was the 5th year after the independence of Bangladesh. It was also the year when Gen Ziaur Rahman consolidated his power and proceeded to become the President.

## Incumbents

* President: Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem
* Chief Justice: Syed A. B. Mahmud Hossain

## Demography

Demographic Indicators for Bangladesh in 1976 :
| Population, total | 71,652,386 |
| Population density (per km$^2$) | 550.5 |
| Population growth (annual %) | 2.2% |
| Male to Female Ratio (every 100 Female) | 106.4 |
| Urban population (% of total) | 10.7% |
| Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) | 44.9 |
| Death rate, crude (per 1,000 people) | 17.1 |
| Mortality rate, under 5 (per 1,000 live births) | 214 |
| Life expectancy at birth, total (years) | 49.4 |
| Fertility rate, total (births per woman) | 6.8 |

## Climate

Climate data for Bangladesh in 1976 :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 18.3 (64.9) | 21.2 (70.2) | 25.5 (77.9) | 27.8 (82.0) | 27.4 (81.3) | 27.5 (81.5) | 27.9 (82.2) | 27.4 (81.3) | 27.9 (82.2) | 26.6 (79.9) | 24.3 (75.7) | 19. (66) | 25.1 (77.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | .6 (0.02) | 17.2 (0.68) | 30.7 (1.21) | 90.6 (3.57) | 294.2 (11.58) | 624. (24.6) | 488.8 (19.24) | 439.9 (17.32) | 227.9 (8.97) | 99.3 (3.91) | 45.1 (1.78) | 2. (0.1) | 2,360.2 (92.92) |
| Source: Climatic Research Unit (CRU) of University of East Anglia (UEA) ||||||||||||||

## Economy

Key Economic Indicators for Bangladesh in 1976 :
| National Income ||||
| | Current US$ | Current BDT | % of GDP |
| GDP | $10.1 billion | BDT150.2 billion | |
| GDP growth (annual %) | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.7% |
| GDP per capita | $141.2 | BDT2,097 | |
| Agriculture, value added | $5.3 billion | BDT78.0 billion | 51.9% |
| Industry, value added | $1.5 billion | BDT21.7 billion | 14.4% |
| Services, etc., value added | $3.4 billion | BDT50.5 billion | 33.6% |
| Balance of Payment ||||
| | Current US$ | Current BDT | % of GDP |
| Current account balance | -$276.3 million | | -2.7% |
| Imports of goods and services | $947.9 million | BDT26.5 billion | 17.6% |
| Exports of goods and services | $467.3 million | BDT7.1 billion | 4.7% |
| Foreign direct investment, net inflows | $5.4 million | | 0.1% |
| Personal remittances, received | $18.8 million | | 0.2% |
| Total reserves (includes gold) at year end | $288.9 million | | |
| Total reserves in months of imports | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
Note: For the year 1976 average official exchange rate for BDT was 15.40 per US$.

## Events

* 16 May - Farakka Long March was led by Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, demanded demolition of the Farakka Barrage constructed by India to divert flow of Ganges waters inside its territory, triggering the drying up of river Padma and desertification of Bangladesh.
* 21 July - Col. Abu Taher was tried by a military tribunal inside the Dhaka Central Jail and sentenced to death. The trial was later considered flawed.
* Five years after the secession of East Pakistan, Pakistan has Diplomatic Relations with Bangladesh.
* 19 November - General Zia took over the powers of Chief Martial Law Administrator, leaving President Sayem with only ceremonial function.

### Awards and recognitions

In the year 1976, the first year of the award, 9 individuals were awarded Ekushey Padak in recognition of their contribution to different fields:
* Kazi Nazrul Islam (Literature)
* Muhammad Qudrat-i-Khuda (Education)
* Jasimuddin (literature)
* Sufia Kamal (literature)
* Abdul Quadir (literature)
* Muhammed Mansooruddin (education)
* Tofazzal Hossain Manik Miah (journalism)
* Abul Kalam Shamsuddin (literature)
* Abdus Salam (Editor) (journalism)

### Sports

* Domestic football: Mohammedan SC won Dhaka League title, while Abahani KC came out runners-up.
* Marylebone Cricket Club visited Bangladesh

## Births

* Amitabh Reza Chowdhury, filmmaker
* Sadia Islam Mou, model and actor

## Deaths

* 13 March: Poet Jasim Uddin (b. 1903)
* 28 May: Zainul Abedin, painter (b. 1914)
* 21 July: Col. Abu Taher, Bir Uttom. (b. 1938)
* 29 August: Kazi Nazrul Islam, the national poet. (b. 1899)
* 17 November: Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, politician (b. 1880)
* 21 November: Ava Alam, classical singer (b. 1947)