Bangladesh

People's Republic of Bangladesh গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশ (Bengali) Gôṇôprôjātôntrī Bāṅlādēś
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: আমার সোনার বাংলা (Bengali) Amar Sonar Bangla "My Golden Bengal" March: নতুনের গান (Bengali) Notuner Gaan "The Song of Youth"
Government Seal
Show globe Show map of Bangladesh
Capital and largest city	Dhaka 23°45′50″N 90°23′20″E / 23.76389°N 90.38889°E / 23.76389; 90.38889
Official language and national language	Bengali[1][2][A]
Ethnic groups (2022 census)[3]	99% Bengali 1% others Chakmas Garos Khasis Khumis Manipuris Marmas Mizos Arakanese Mrus Santals Tanchangyas Tripuris Bishnupriyas
Religion (2022 census)[4]	91.04% Islam (Official) 7.94% Hinduism 0.60% Buddhism 0.30% Christianity 0.12% other
Demonym(s)	Bangladeshi
Government	Unitary parliamentary republic under an interim government
• President	Mohammed Shahabuddin
• Chief Adviser	Muhammad Yunus
• Chief Justice	Syed Refaat Ahmed
Legislature	Jatiya Sangsad
Establishment
• East Bengal	15 August 1947
• East Pakistan	14 October 1955
• Proclamation of independence from Pakistan	26 March 1971
• Victory	16 December 1971
• Current constitution	16 December 1972
Area
• Total	148,460[5] km2 (57,320 sq mi) (92nd)
• Water (%)	6.4
• Land area	130,170 km2[6]
• Water area	18,290 km2[6]
Population
• 2023 estimate	171,466,990[7] (8th)
• 2022 census	169,828,911[8][9] (8th)
• Density	1,165/km2 (3,017.3/sq mi) (13th)
GDP (PPP)	2025 estimate
• Total	$1.801 trillion[10] (24th)
• Per capita	$10,367[10] (124th)
GDP (nominal)	2025 estimate
• Total	$481.86 billion[10] (34th)
• Per capita	$2,773[10] (139th)
Gini (2022)	33.4[11] medium inequality
HDI (2022)	0.670[12] medium (129th)
Currency	Taka (৳) (BDT)
Time zone	UTC+6 (BST)
Calling code	+880
ISO 3166 code	BD
Internet TLD	.bd .বাংলা
^ A: English is also widely used in Bangladesh.[13][14]

This article contains Bengali text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols.

Bangladesh,^[a] officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh,^[b] is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world and among the most densely populated with a population of over 171 million within an area of 148,460 square kilometres (57,320 sq mi). Bangladesh shares land borders 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 largest city, is the nation's political, financial, and cultural centre. Chittagong is the second-largest city and the busiest port of the country.

The territory of modern Bangladesh was a stronghold of many Buddhist and Hindu dynasties in ancient history. Following the Muslim conquest in 1204, the Sultanate and Mughal.^[15] During the Mughal period, particularly under the Bengal Subah, the region emerged as one of the most prosperous and commercially active parts of the empire, known for its thriving textile industry and agricultural productivity. The Battle of Plassey in 1757 marked the beginning of British colonial rule for the following two centuries. In the aftermath of the Partition of British India in 1947, East Bengal became the eastern and most populous wing of the newly formed Dominion of Pakistan and was later renamed to East Pakistan. Following over two decades of political repression and systematic racism from the West Pakistan-based government, East Pakistan experienced a civil war in 1971; ultimately leading to a war for independence. The Mukti Bahini, with assistance from Indian forces, waged a successful armed revolution; and at the expense of a genocide, Bangladesh became a sovereign nation on 16 December 1971. Post-Independence, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman led the country until his assassination in 1975. Presidency was later transferred to Ziaur Rahman, who himself was assassinated in 1981. The 1980s was dominated by the dictatorship of Hussain Muhammad Ershad, who was overthrown in a mass uprising in 1990. Following the democratisation in 1991, the "Battle of the Begums" between Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina defined the country's politics for the next three decades. Hasina was overthrown in a student–led mass uprising in August 2024, and an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed.

Bangladesh is a unitary parliamentary republic based on the Westminster system. It is a middle power with the second-largest economy in South Asia. Bangladesh is home to the third-largest Muslim population in the world and the fifth-most spoken native language. It maintains the third-largest military in South Asia and is the largest contributor to the peacekeeping operations of the United Nations. It consists of eight divisions, 64 districts, and 495 sub-districts, and is home to the largest mangrove forest in the world. However, Bangladesh has one of the largest refugee populations in the world and continues to face challenges such as endemic corruption, lack of human rights, political instability, overpopulation, and adverse effects of climate change. It has twice chaired the Climate Vulnerable Forum and is a member of BIMSTEC, SAARC, OIC and the Commonwealth of Nations.

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