Bangladesh

**Bangladesh**, officially the **People’s Republic of Bangladesh**, is a country in South Asia and is bordered by India and Myanmar, separated from Nepal and Bhutan by India’s Chicken’s Neck corridor. To the south is the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh was part of British India, but the Partition of India in 1947, saw the region assigned to the state of Pakistan.

## History

### Independence from Pakistan

In 1971, Pakistan began Operation Searchlight, a sustained military assault on East Pakistan – now Bangladesh – to crack down on separatists. On 26 March 1971, East Pakistan declared its independence as Bangladesh. Bangladeshi separatists fought a guerrilla war against the Pakistani armed forces. In West Pakistan – modern day Pakistan – the war was described as a civil war, as opposed to an independence war. Pakistan suspected that India would become involved and on the morning of 3 December, Pakistan launched a pre-emptive strike against the Indian air force to neutralise it, a move inspired by the actions of the Israelis at the beginning of the Six Day War. India, seeing this strike as an unprovoked attack declared war with Pakistan, and joined the Bangladeshis in achieving independence. Pakistan surrendered on 16 December, ending the war.

### Post-Independence

After independence, the Constitution of Bangladesh established a unitary secular multiparty parliamentary democratic system. The Awami League won the first general elections in 1973 with a massive mandate, gaining an absolute parliamentary majority. A nationwide famine occurred during 1973 and 1974, and in early 1975, Mujib initiated a one-party socialist rule. On 15 August 1975, Mujib and most of his family members were assassinated by mid-level military officers. Vice President Khandaker Mushtaq Ahmed was sworn in as President with most of Mujib's cabinet intact. A state of emergency was declared to restore order and calm. Mushtaq resigned, and the country was placed under temporary martial law, with three service chiefs serving as deputies to the new president, Justice Abu Sayem.

Lieutenant General Ziaur Rahman took over the presidency in 1977 when Justice Sayem resigned. President Zia reinstated multi-party politics, introduced free markets, and founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Zia's rule ended when he was assassinated by elements of the military in 1981. Bangladesh's next major ruler was Lieutenant General Hossain Mohammad Ershad, who gained power in a coup on 24 March 1982, and ruled until 6 December 1990, when he was forced to resign after a revolt of all major political parties and the public.

On 11 January 2007, the military intervened to support both a state of emergency and a continuing but neutral caretaker government under a newly appointed Chief Advisor, who was not a politician. The Awami League's Sheikh Hasina won with a two-thirds landslide in the elections; she took the oath of Prime Minister on 6 January 2009.

## Politics and Government

After independence, Bangladesh adopted the Westminster system of government under the 1972 Constitution. The President is the head of state, who is elected by the parliament for a five-year term. The Prime Minister, as the head of government, holds executive power and is traditionally the leader of the largest party in the House.

The Legislature is made up of the 350 members of parliament, 300 of which are elected by first-past-the-post voting from single member constituencies. The Speaker of the House allocates an additional 50 seats for female candidates.

The Judiciary consists of the Supreme Court and a number of lower High and civil courts, based on the English Common Law system.

### Administrative Regions

Bangladesh is divided into seven regions, which are then subdivided into 64 districts, each of which are further divided into sub-districts. The seven principle regions are:

* Barisal
* Chittagong
* Dhaka
* Khulna
* Rajshahi
* Rangpur
* Sylhet

### Foreign Relations

Bangladesh pursues a moderate foreign policy, which is based on its principle ‘friendship towards all and malice towards none’. The country is a big advocate for multilateral diplomacy, and helped mediate the ceasefire ending the Iran-Iraq War, is a key negotiator in the Israel-Palestine (though it does not recognise Israel) talks and was involved in mediating the end of the Egyptian Civil War.

Bangladesh is one of the United States’s principle allies in South Asia. Bangladesh’s most important relationship is with its neighbour India, with which is maintains strong economic, trade and military ties. Bangladesh is also close with China, and China is Bangladesh’s principle defence supplier. Bangladesh also has close relations with Brazil, Russia and Japan.

## Economy

Both China and India invested heavily in Bangladeshi energy, communication, education, infrastructure and industry in the 21st century. China expanded the port infrastructure in the Bangladeshi city of Chittagong to create an export hub on the Indian Ocean for Chinese products.

In 2026, China Railways completed the Kunming-Kolkata HSR Line linking **Bangladesh** to both China and India as well as the larger Pan-Asian High Speed Rail System.

In 2028, CR completed the Bangkok-Kolkata HSR Line, providing a direct HSR land link between **Bangladesh** and South East Asia.

Both of these HSR projects also increased investment in neighboring Myanmar.