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Bangladesh 
 
[Pakistan]
              14 Aug 1947 - 16 Dec 1971 
 
[Bangladesh 1971 Flag]
              26 Mar 1971 - 13 Jan 1972 
 
[Flag of Bangladesh]
                  Adopted 13 Jan 1972 
 
Map of Bangladesh
Hear National Anthem
 "Amar Shonar Bangla"
(My Golden Bengal) 
Text of National Anthem
Adopted 1971
(provisional to 13 Jan 1972)
Constitution
(16 Dec 1972 - 24 Mar 1982;
from 10 Nov 1986)
Capital: Dhaka
(Dacca 1608-1704, 1770-1983;
Mujibnagar 11 Apr 1971 -
16 Dec 1971; Murshidabad
 1704- 1770; Akbarbnagar
1595 - 1608)
Currency: Taka (BDT) 
National Holiday: 26 Mar (1971)
Independence Day
Population: 150,448,339 (2007)
GDP: $330.8 billion (2006) 
Exports: $11.1billion (2006)
Imports: $13.7 billion (2006)
Ethnic Groups: Bengali 97.7%, tribal groups 1.9%
(Chakma 0.4%, Saontal 0.2%, Marma 0.1%),
other 0.4% (1998) 
Total Armed Forces: 125,500 (2003)
Merchant marine: 42 ships (2006)
Religions: Muslim 85.8%, Hindu 12.4%, Christian 0.7%,
Buddhist 0.6%, other 0.5% (2000)
International Organizations/Treaties: ADB, APM, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CP, CTBT, D-8, ENMOD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISESCO, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, KP, MIGA, NAM, NPT, NTBT, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCLOS, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Bangladesh
Chronology

1198                       Bengal (Bangla) sultanate
12 Jul 1576                Bengal annexed by Moghul Empire.
1703                       Mughal governor with style Nawab Nazim establishes
                             a quasi-independent state.
21 Aug 1765                British administration begins (see India). 
26 May 1770                Part of British India (see India). 
15 Aug 1947                Bengal province of British India divided;
                             eastern part becomes Pakistan province of
                             East Bengal.
 7 Oct 1958                Autonomy abolished.
14 Oct 1955                Renamed East Pakistan.
26 Mar 1971                Independence proclaimed (People's Republic 
                             of Bangladesh).
16 Dec 1971                De facto independence (capitulation of Pakistan). 
22 Feb 1974                Independence recognized by Pakistan. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Rulers (title from 1716, Nawab Nazim)
1703 - 30 Jun 1727         Murshid Quli Jafar Khan            (d. 1727)
                             (de facto to 1716)
30 Jun 1727 - 1739         Shujauddin Muhammad Khan           (d. 1739)
 
1739 -  6 Apr 1740         Alauddin Haidar Jang Sarfaraz Khan (d. 1740) 
1740 -  9 Apr 1756         Alivardi Khan (Mirza Muhammad Ali) (d. 1756) 
1756 - 23 Jun 1757         Sirajuddaula Muhammad Khan         (b. 1733 - d. 1757)
29 Jun 1757 - 20 Oct 1760  Muhammad Jafar Ali Khan (1st time) (b. 1691 - d. 1777)
20 Oct 1760 - 1763         Mir Muhammad Qasim Ali Khan        (d. c.1777)
1763 - 17 Jan 1765         Muhammad Jafar Ali Khan (2nd time) (s.a.)
17 Jan 1765 -  3 May 1766  Najimuddin Ali Khan                (b. 1750 - d. 1766) 
17 Jan 1765 -  3 May 1766  Reza Khan -Regent (1st time)       (b. 1717? - d. 1791)
 3 May 1766 - 1770 
       Saifuddaula Najabut Ali Khan       (d. c.1770)
 3 May 1766 - 1770         Reza Khan -Regent (2nd time)       (s.a.)
Governors
Aug 1947 - 31 Mar 1950     Sir Frederick Chalmers Bourne      (b. 1891 - d. 1977)
31 Mar 1950 - 31 Mar 1953  Malik Firoz Khan Nun               (b. 1893 - d. 1970)
31 Mar 1953 - 29 May 1954  Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman             (b. 1889 - d. 1973)
29 May 1954 - May 1955     Iskandar Ali Mirza                 (b. 1899 - d. 1969)
May 1955 - Jun 1955        Mohammad Shahabuddin (acting)      (d. 1955)
Jun 1955 - Mar 1956        Amiruddin Ahmad
Mar 1956 - 13 Apr 1958     Abul Kashem Fazlul Huq             (b. 1873 - d. 1962)
13 Apr 1958 -  3 May 1958  Hamid Ali (acting)
 3 May 1958 - 10 Oct 1958  Sultanuddin Ahmad
10 Oct 1958 - 11 Apr 1960  Zakir Hussain                      (b. 1898)
11 Apr 1960 - 11 May 1962  Mohammad Azam Khan                 (b. 1908 - d. 1996)
11 May 1962 - 25 Oct 1962  Ghulam Faruq                       (b. 1899)
25 Oct 1962 - 23 Mar 1969  Abdul Munim Khan                   (b. 1902 - d. 1971)
23 Mar 1969 - 25 Mar 1969  Mirza Nurul Huda                   (b. 1919 - d. 1991)
25 Mar 1969 - 23 Aug 1969  Muzaffaruddin
                             (martial law administrator)
23 Aug 1969 -  1 Sep 1969  Sahabzada Yaqub Khan               (b. 1920)
                             (martial law administrator)
 1 Sep 1969 -  7 Mar 1971  Saiyid Mohammad Ahsan              (b. 1920)
 7 Mar 1971 - 31 Aug 1971  Tikka Khan                         (b. 1915 - d. 2002)
                             (martial law administrator)
31 Aug 1971 - 14 Dec 1971  Abdul Motaleb Malik                (b. 1905 - d. 1977)
31 Aug 1971 - 16 Dec 1971  Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi           (b. 1915 - d. 2004)
                             (martial law administrator)
Presidents 
11 Apr 1971 - 12 Jan 1972  Mujibur Rahman (1st time)          (b. 1920 - d. 1975)  AL
                             (Pakistani prisoner to 8 Jan 1972)
11 Apr 1971 - 10 Jan 1972  Syed Nazrul Islam                  (b. 1925 - d. 1975)  AL
                             (acting for Mujibur Rahman)
12 Jan 1972 - 24 Dec 1973  Abu Sayeed Chowdhury               (b. 1921 - d. 1987)  Non-party
26 Dec 1973 - 25 Jan 1975  Mohammad Mohammadullah             (b. 1921 - d. 1999)  BAL
                             (acting to 24 Jan 1974) 
25 Jan 1975 - 15 Aug 1975  Mujibur Rahman (2nd time)          (s.a.)               BAL 
15 Aug 1975 -  6 Nov 1975  Khundaqar Mushtaq Ahmed            (b. 1918 - d. 1996)  BAL
 6 Nov 1975 - 21 Apr 1977  Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem           (b. 1916 - d. 1997)  Non-party
                             (also chief martial law administrator
                             24 Aug - 4 Nov 1975 and 7 Nov 1975 - 29 Nov 1976)
21 Apr 1977 - 30 May 1981  Ziaur Rahman                       (b. 1936 - d. 1981)  Mil/BJD
                             (also chief martial law administrator
                             29 Nov 1976 - 6 Apr 1979)
30 May 1981 - 24 Mar 1982  Abdus Sattar                       (b. 1906 - d. 1958)  BJD
                             (acting to 20 Nov 1981) 
24 Mar 1982 - 27 Mar 1982  Hossain Mohammad Ershad (1st time) (b. 1930)            Mil
                             (chief martial law administrator 24 Mar 1982 - 30 Mar 1984)
27 Mar 1982 - 11 Dec 1983  Abul Fazal Mohammad Ahsanuddin     (b. 1915 - d. 2001)  Non-party
                             Choudhury
11 Dec 1983 -  6 Dec 1990  Hossain Mohammad Ershad (2nd time) (s.a.)               Mil;1986 JD
 6 Dec 1990 - 10 Oct 1991  Shahabuddin Ahmed (1st time)       (b. 1930)            Non-party 
                             (acting)
10 Oct 1991 -  9 Oct 1996  Abdur Rahman Biswas                (b. 1926)            BJD 
 9 Oct 1996 - 14 Nov 2001  Shahabuddin Ahmed (2nd time)       (s.a.)               Non-party
14 Nov 2001 - 21 Jun 2002  A.Q.M. Badruddoza Chowdhury        (b. 1929)            BJD
21 Jun 2002 -  6 Sep 2002  Jamiruddin Sircar (acting)         (b. 1931)            Non-party
 6 Sep 2002 -              Iajuddin Ahmed                     (b. 1931)            Non-party

Chief ministers
Aug 1947 - Sep 1948        Khwaja Nazimuddin                  (b. 1894 - d. 1964)  ML
Sep 1948 - 1952            Nurul Amin                         (b. 1893 - d. 1974)  ML
 3 Apr 1954 - 29 May 1954  Abul Kashem Fazlul Huq             (s.a.)               UF
29 May 1954 - Aug 1955     Governor's rule
Aug 1955 - Sep 1956        Abu Hossain Sarkar (1st time)      (b. 1894 - d. 1969)  KSP
Sep 1956 - Mar 1958        Ataur Rahman Khan (1st time)       (b. 1905 - d. 1991)  AL
Mar 1958                   Abu Hossain Sarkar (2nd time)      (s.a.)               KSP
Mar 1958 - 18 Jun 1958     Ataur Rahman Khan (2nd time)       (s.a.)               AL
18 Jun 1958 - 22 Jun 1958  Abu Hossain Sarkar (3rd time)      (s.a.)               KSP
22 Jun 1958 - 25 Aug 1958  Governor's rule
25 Aug 1958 -  7 Oct 1958  Ataur Rahman Khan (3rd time)       (s.a.)               AL
 7 Oct 1958 - 30 Jun 1970  Post abolished
 1 Jul 1970 - 16 Dec 1971  Martial law
Prime ministers 

11 Apr 1971 - 13 Jan 1972  Tajuddin Ahmed                     (b. 1925 - d. 1975)  BAL
13 Jan 1972 - 26 Jan 1975  Mujibur Rahman                     (s.a.)               BAL
26 Jan 1975 - 15 Aug 1975  Mohammad Mansoor Ali               (b. 1919 - d. 1975)  BAL
29 Jun 1978 - 12 Mar 1979  Mashiur Rahman (senior minister)   (b. 1924 - d. 1979)  BJD
15 Apr 1979 - 24 Mar 1982  Shah Azizur Rahman                 (b. 1925 - d. 1988)  BJD
30 Mar 1984 -  9 Jul 1986  Ataur Rahman Khan                  (b. 1905 - d. 1991)  JD
 9 Jul 1986 - 27 Mar 1988  Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury           (b. 1928 - d. 2006)  JD
27 Mar 1988 - 12 Aug 1989  Moudud Ahmed                       (b. 1940)            JD
12 Aug 1989 -  6 Dec 1990  Kazi Zafar Ahmed                   (b. 1940)            JD
20 Mar 1991 - 30 Mar 1996  Khaleda Zia (f) (1st time)         (b. 1945)            BJD
30 Mar 1996 - 23 Jun 1996  Mohammad Habibur Rahman            (b. 1930)            Non-party 
                             (chief adviser)
23 Jun 1996 - 15 Jul 2001  Sheikh Hasina Wajed (f)            (b. 1947)            BAL
15 Jul 2001 - 10 Oct 2001  Latifur Rahman (chief adviser)     (b. 1936)            Non-party
10 Oct 2001 - 29 Oct 2006  Khaleda Zia (f) (2nd time)         (s.a.)               BJD
29 Oct 2006 - 11 Jan 2007  Iajuddin Ahmed (chief adviser)     (s.a.)               Non-party
11 Jan 2007 - 
12 Jan 2007  Fazlul Haque                       (b. 1938)            Non-party
                             (acting chief adviser)
 
12 Jan 2007 -              Fakhruddin Ahmed (chief adviser)   (b. 1940)            Non-party

 
 

[Flag of Chittagong Hill Tribes]

Chittagong Hill Tracts Rebel Flag

Territorial Disputes: Discussions with India remain stalled to delimit a small section of river boundary, exchange 162 miniscule enclaves in both countries, allocate divided villages, and stop illegal cross-border trade, migration, violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous border; Bangladesh protests India's attempts to fence off high-traffic sections of the porous boundary; a joint Bangladesh-India boundary inspection in 2005 revealed 92 pillars are missing; dispute with India over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation.

Party abbreviations: BAL = Bangladesh Awami League (Bangladesh People's League, social-democratic; known as Bangladesh Peasants, Workers, and People's League Jan-Aug 1975, 
only legal party 5 Aug 1975 to 1979, former AL); BJD = Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Dal (Bengal Nationalist Party, conservative); JD = Jatiyo Dal (National Party, authoritarian); 
JIB = Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh (Islam Conference Bangladesh, islamist); Mil = Military;
- Former parties: AL = Awami League (later BAL); KSP = Krishan Sramik Party; ML = Muslim League; UF = United Front



©2000  Ben Cahoon