BANGLADESH

AREA: 1,44,000 sq km

GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary republic

CAPITAL: Dhaka

POPULATION & LANGUAGE: Recent (2005-2007) estimates of Bangladesh's population range from 142 to 159 million, making it the 7th most populous nation in the world. With a land area of 144,000 square kilometers, ranked 94th, the population density is remarkable. The official and most widely used language in Bangladesh, as in West Bengal, is Bangla or Bengali, an Indo-Aryan language of Sanskrit origin with its own script. English is used as second language among the middle and upper classes.

GEOGRAPHY & CLIMATE: Bangladesh is located in the low-lying Ganges-Brahmaputra River Delta or Ganges Delta. This delta is formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers and their respective tributaries. Straddling in the Tropic of Cancer, Bangladesh has three climatic periods-

October to March Bangladeshi climate is tropical with a mild winter,

March to June the climate is hot and humid

June to October it is a warm and humid monsoon season

PEOPLE AND CULTURE

People: The majority ethnic group of Bangladesh is the Bengali people, comprising 98% of the population. The remainders are mostly Bihari migrants and indigenous tribal groups. There are thirteen tribal groups located in the Chittagong Hill Tracts; the most popular of the tribes are the Chakmas. The largest tribal groups outside the Hill Tracts are the Santhals and the Garos (Achiks). There are also Kaibartta, Mundas, Oraons, and Zomi ethnic groups. There are 88% of Muslims and 11% of Hindus. Islam is the state religion

Art & Culture: Bangladesh has a culture that encompasses elements both old and new. The Bengali language boasts a rich literary heritage, which Bangladesh shares with the Indian state of West Bengal. The greatest icons are the poets Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam. The musical tradition of Bangladesh is lyrics-based (Baniprodhan), with minimal instrumental accompaniment. The Baul tradition is a unique heritage of Bangla folk music, and there are numerous other musical traditions in Bangladesh, which vary from one region to the other

Economy: Bangladesh is an agricultural country, with around two-third of the population engaged in farming. Jute and tea are principal sources of foreign exchange. Other important agricultural products are wheat, pulses, sweet potatoes, oilseeds of various kinds, sugarcane, tobacco, and fruits such as bananas, mangoes, and pineapples. Although two-thirds of Bangladeshis are farmers, more than three quarters of Bangladesh’s export earnings come from the industry, which began attracting foreign investors in the 1980s due to cheap labour and low conversion cost.

CURRENCY

Obverse of an 10 Bangladeshi Taka

Reverse of an 10 Bangladeshi Taka

Subunit

1/100 poisha Symbol �, � Coins 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 poisha

Banknotes 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 taka Central bank Bangladesh Bank

Website www.bangladesh-bank.org SOCIAL LIFE AND RECREATION Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha are two large festivals which are celebrated in Bangladesh. The day before Eid ul-Fitr is called Chãd Rat (the night of the Moon), and is often marked by firecrackers. Other Muslim holidays are also observed. Major Hindu festivals are Durga Puja and Saraswati Puja. Christmas, called Bôŗodin (Great day) in Bangla is celebrated by the minority Christian population. The most important secular festival is Pohela Baishakh or Bengali New Year, the beginning of the Bengali calendar. Cricket is one of the most popular sports in Bangladesh. Other popular sports include Soccer, field hockey, tennis, badminton, handball, volleyball, chess, carom, and kabadi. There are many clubs and cultural centers in Dhaka.To name a few The Canadian Club, Gulshan Club and Dhaka Club. EDUCATION Educational System: The education system is divided into 4 levels-- Primary (from grades 1 to 5), Secondary (from grades 6 to 10), Higher Secondary (from grades 11 to 12) and tertiary. Alongside national education system, English medium education is also provided by some private enterprises. There is also Madrasa system, which emphasizes on Arabic medium Islam-based education. There are 11 government universities and approximately 20 private universities in Bangladesh. Specialized universities are Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Bangladesh Agricultural University and Bangabandhu Shaikh Mujib Medical University.

TRANSPORT

* AIR

• Bangladesh can be reached by air from any part of the world.

• The national flag carrier Biman flies to 26 international and 8 domestic destinations Besides Biman, several other (international) carriers also fly to and from Dhaka.

• Routes to Dhaka from Delhi

Delhi- Kolkata –Dhaka

Delhi- Dhaka

* Land

• Road transport in Bangladesh is a private sector affair operating predominantly in domestic routes.

• Rates are among the cheapest in the world.

• Express and non-stop services are available to principal towns from Gabtoli, Saidabad and Mohakhai bus terminals in Dhaka.

• The Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) also maintains a countrywide network of bus services. Recently it has introduced Dhaka - Kolkata - Dhaka direct daily bus services via Benapole, Jessore.

* Rail

• The Bangladesh Railway provides an efficient service to places of interest such as Chittagong, Sylhet, Khulna, Mymensingh, Bogra, Rajshahi, Dinajpur starting from Dhaka. The inter-city Express Service is available to and from important cities at cheap fares.

COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY: The government owned Betar-Radio Bangladesh operates from Dhaka and other local districts. Currently, the private FM radio channels are very popular. They are trying to attract young people by broadcasting music and news

The international calling code for Bangladesh is +880

Internet country code - .bd

Time Difference: +0.30 hr

PLACES OF INTEREST

• Sundarbans

• Kaptai

• Mainamati

• Cox's Bazar

• Himchari

• Maheskhali

• Sonadia Island

• Mahasthangarh

• Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban

IMPORTANT CITIES IN BANGLADESH

• Dhaka

• Chittagong

• Khulna

• Rajshahi

• Sylhet

TRAVEL TIPS

• Make sure you have the proper health/immunization requirements.

• Carry as much currency in traveler’s cheques as possible.

• Keep a copy of all documents and credit card information in a safe place.

• Check all your travel documents to make sure that they are in order. Passports should be valid for a few months after your return date.

• Bring your address and telephone book. Make sure you have jotted down important telephone numbers in case of emergency.

• Check the weather conditions of your destination.

• Become very alert when you are pushed around or distracted in a crowd.

• If any of your important travel documents such as passport are lost or stolen, immediately notify the local police. For credit cards make sure you call the issuing bank immediately so that they can stop the card from being used illegally.

DO’S & DONT’S

• Don't wear shorts, no matter how hot it is. Also, women should wear shirts with sleeves and long pants or dresses.

• Don't use the thumbs-up sign to show approval. It is a vulgar insult in Bangladesh and other parts of Asia.

• Don't be surprised if you draw a crowd of onlookers while doing the simplest of things. Bangladeshis do not share the Western conception of private space, nor do they regard stares as rude. Although it may be disconcerting to you, the practice is harmless, and just shows that many people, especially in rural areas, don't have much contact with foreigners.

• Don't wear shoes into a mosque, and don't be surprised that many mosques don't allow women to enter.

• Do ask before you take photographs of people, particularly women.

• Don't change more money than you think you'll spend. You can reconvert up to 500 TK or 25% of the total converted, whichever is less.

VISA REQUIREMENTS & PROCEDURE Valid Passport- minimum validity of 9 months Two Visa Application form duly filled in capital letters and signed as per the passport signature. Four Recent colour Passport Size Photograph's with white background. Covering Letter from Indian Company Stating Applicant's Name, Designation, Purpose & Duration of Visit Invitation from Bangladesh Stating Applicant's Name, Designation, Purpose & Duration of Visit Return Confirmed Air Ticket's for Stay Duration / Itinerary Print Out Foreign Exchange Duly Endorsed minimum of 50 USD is mandatory Valid Passport Time Taken: 02 Working Days

USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS

Subject Type of Service Telephone Number

Ambulance Emergency Non-Emergency

9125420

Fire Fire Service 9556666, 9555555 Police Emergency 999

EMBASSIES:

High Commission of Bangladesh Indian High Commission in Dhaka in New Delhi, India Address:Ep-39, Dr.S.Radhakrishna Marg, Address:House No.2,Road No.142, Chanakyapuri New Delhi-110021 Gulshan-1,Dhaka, Bangladesh Tel: 91-11-26878948/49, 26878956/57 Tel: 008802-9889339, 9888790/1 Fax: 91-11-26878953 Fax: 008802-8817487 Email: highcommissionba@eth.net Email: hc@hcidhaka.org (HC) REGIONAL OFFICE

Team Leader: Mr. Shekhawat Hussain M/S. ICT Pvt. Ltd. House No- 487, 5th Floor Road No.- 8 (East), New D.O.H.S.,Baridhara Dhaka –1206, Bangladesh Telefax: +880-2-8817602. E-mail:ictdhaka@xenialbb.net