Bangladesh

__ BANGLADESH __ By: Sarah Busso and Kiersten Garrand __** --media type="custom" key="5647865" media type="custom" key="5713009" Political**__ The type of government in Bangladesh is Parliamentary Democracy, which means all citizens 18 and over can vote every 5 years. The constitution was drafted in 1972. Their current leader is President Zillur Rahman elected febuary 12, 2009, the prime minister is Sheikh Hasina Wajed (2009). The laws are loosely based on English Common Law, although family laws such as marriage and inheritance are based on religous scripts. -Capital: Dhaka -Large cities: Chittagong 2,000,000 people; Khulna 1,211,500 -Monetary Unit: Taka

__**Social**__ The principal languages in Bangledesh are: Bangla, which is the official language, then English. In Bangladesh people are either Bengali:98%, tribal groups, or non Bengali Muslims. 43% of the country is literate, males 54% females 41%. The population of Bangladesh is 156,050,883. The life expectancy for males is 57, for females 63 years. There are over 12,000 people living with HIV/AIDS. media type="custom" key="5855265" media type="custom" key="5762183" **__Economic__** The GDP of Bangladesh is 1,600$. The population below the poverty line is 36.3%. Exchange rates: per U.S dollar- 69.047. The major industries of Bangladesh are: cotton textiles, garments, tea processing, paper news/print, cement, chemical fertilizer, light engineering, sugar, and jute (a strong, course fiber used for making burlap, gunny, cordage). -Oil imports: 87,660 bbl/day. -Oil exports: 2,612 bbl/day. -Imports- 20.22 billion$ -partners- china 15.8%, India 15.7, Kuwait 8.1%, Singapore 7.6%, Japan 4.4%. Natural resources: minerals, petroleum, hydropower media type="custom" key="5713221"


 * __Current events:__**

[] -Bangladesh eases shipbreaking rules

// March 10 and 11 // , People under 18 restricted to buy SIM cards for cell phones, to help curb crime with the use of cell phones. Over 1.2 million unregistered SIM (subscriber identity module) cards were canceled and blocked to help stop criminal activity. To buy SIM and RUIM (removable user identity modules) you must be 18 and older, and put your national identity number on a registration form to become an actual subscriber. The minister plans to be tough about this new law if the mobile carriers sell SIM or RUIM cards without proper registration subscription.

Personally I think that this new law is helpful, it does need to be done if it would help deal with crime and the use of cell phones involved. I think that this new law will have great, helpful effects on Bangladesh’s crime rates and that it should of been started earlier. I think that there is no reason for people to be upset with this new law, especially since it will be helping everyone except the criminals of course. I think this new law will most definitely help Bangladesh move forward.

// March 10 ////, // In areas located outside the official Kutupalong Burmese Muslim refugee camps over 50 children have died in the past 2 months of starvation. A refugee in the camp says that they are not allowed to leave the camp to get jobs, nor leave to get to the market to buy food. There are over 8,000 families living outside the camp and it was estimated that only 1,000 families are able to eat one meal daily. MSF is working outside the camps but no refugees have received food from them, only medicine and soap.

I think that this is ridiculous that people in refugee camps are dying from lack of food and water, I also think that these camps need a lot of aid to feed all of their children and families. The fact that families are not allowed to get jobs and not able to purchase the food, water and supplies for themselves is also ridiculous and damaging to the parents who see their children in pain and suffering from not being able to eat and drink. The government definatley needs to do something about this crisis in the near future.

[] []

[]

[] [|www.infoplease.com/countries.html] [] [] []