Worldlaw Profiles 2008

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Bangladesh

Fact File

Population: 150,448,339 (July 2007 est.)


Capital
City : Dhaka

 

Principal Languages: Bangla (Bengali), Urdu, Hindi, English

 

Principal Religions: Islam 83% Hinduism 16%

 

Currency: Taka (BDT)

 

Exchange vs US$ (August 2007): 68.83 

 

GDP Growth: 6.6% (2006 est.)

 

Industries: Cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper newsprint, cement, chemical fertiliser, light engineering, sugar.

 

Main Exports: Garments, jute and jute goods, leather, frozen fish and seafood.

 

Key Trading Partners (Exports): US 25.2%, Germany 12.7%, UK 9.9%, France 5% (2006).

 

Main Imports: Machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs, petroleum products, cement.

 

Key Trading Partners (Imports): China 18%, India 12.7%, Kuwait 8%, Singapore 5.6%, Hong Kong 4.2% (2006).

 

Government Type: Parliamentary republic

 

Chief of State: President Iajuddin Ahmed

 

Head of Government: Chief Adviser Fakruddin Ahmed (interim)

 

Judicial Branch: Supreme Court (appointed by the president)

 

Legislative Branch: Unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300 seats elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies. Members serve five-year terms.

 

Legal System: Based on English and Pakistani common law and shari’a principles. Bangladesh does not accept compulsory International Court of Justice jurisdiction.

 

Bangladesh

Fact File