After
partition of the Indian Subcontinent in 1947, when the area that now
forms Bangladesh became a part of Pakistan. The people of this part
of the then Pakistan were subjected to a process of systematic economic
exploitation and cultural and political subjugation that had compelled
them to rise in rebellion against their perpetrators resulting in
the emergence of People’s Republic of Bangladesh as a free and sovereign
nation in 1971 in one of history’s worst genocidal war.
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
It
lies roughly between 20º 34' and 26º 38' North Latitude
and 88º 1' and 98º 41' East Longitude. It has an area of
1,47,570 sq. km. (56,977 sq. mile). Bangladesh is situated on the
north-eastern side of the South Asian Subcontinent. The long southern
coastline along the Bay of Bengal shares the Indian Ocean with India
and Myanmar. It is bordered on the West by India (West Bengal) and
on East by India (Mizoram) and Myanmar. On the north of Bangladesh
lies India (Assam and Meghalaya).
The plain land of Bangladesh lies is criss-crossed by a web of rivers
which is a unique topographical feature. The important rivers are
the Padma, the Meghna, the Jamuna and the Brahmaputra. The hills of
Sylhet and those in the hill districts of Bandarban, Rangamati &
Khagrachari are mostly low hills covered with green forests.
The
economy of Bangladesh is predominantly agro-based. The total cultivable
area of Bangladesh is around 17.7 million acres and there are over
17.8 million cultivators. The principal corps are jute, rice, wheat,
tea and sugarcane etc. Per Capital Income (GDP-market price) in 1998-1999
was 13,554.00 taka.
