BANGLADESH COUNTRY PROFILE

Bangladesh as a vacation land has many facets. Her tourist attractions include archaeological sites, historic mosques and monuments, resorts, beaches, picnic spots, forest and wildlife. Bangladesh offers opportunities for angling, water-skiing, river cruising, hiking, rowing, surfing, yachting and sea bathing as well as bringing one in close touch with Mother Nature. She is also rich in wildlife and game birds.

LOCATION AND PHYSICAL FEATURES

Bangladesh is situated in the north-eastern part of south Asia.  It lies between 20' 34' and 2e 36' north latitude and 88' I' and 92' 41' east longitude.  The heary and great Himalayas stand as the northen ramparts, while the southern frontier is guarded by the Bay of Bengal. On the west lies the expansive gangetic plains (West Bengal) of India and on the eastern frontier lies the almost impassable forest of Myanmar (Arakan Province) and India (Tripura and Assam hills).  These picturesque geographical boundaries delineate out a low lying plain of about 147,570 sq.km. (55,598 sq. miles) criss -crossed by innumerable brooks, rivers, rivulets and streams. Mighty rivers the Padma, Jamuna, Meghna, Karnaphuli and others flow through Bangladesh. The unscalable blue is stretched high above, and the green and silvery landscape below runs far and beyond.  This is Bangladesh, a fertile land where nature is bounteous.  

HISTORY

The history of Bangladesh has been one of extremes, of turmoil and peace, prosperity and destitution.  It has thrived under the glow of cultural spiendour and suffered under the ravages of war.  The earliest mention of Bangladesh is found in the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata (the story of Great Battle-9th century B.C). Evidence also suggests that there was a strong Mongoloid presence as well.  Soon after, in the 5th and 6th centuries B.C. came the Aryans from Central Asia and the Dravidians from Western India.  Then came the Guptas, Palas, Senas, who were Buddhist and Hindus.

From the 13th century A.D. the flood of Muslim invaders and the tide of Islam swamped the Buddhist and Hindus untold 8th century.  Sometimes there were independent rulers like the Hussain Shahi and Ilyas Shahi dynasties while at other times they ruled on behalf of the imperial seat of Delhi. From 15th century the Europeans, namely; Portuguese, Dutch, French and       British traders exerted an economic influence over the region.  British political rule over the region began in 1757 A.D. when the last Muslim ruler of Ben. gal was defeated at Palassey.  In 1947 the country was partitioned into India and Pakistan.  Present Bangladesh becomes the Eastern Wing of the then Pakistan.  But the movement for autonomy for East

Pakistan started within a couple of years because of language and cultural difference and economic disparity between the two wings. The seeds of independence were sown through the Language Movement of 1952 to recognize Bangla as a state language.  Ultimately the then East Pakistan emerged as a sovereign and independent state of Bangladesh in 1971 after nine month - long war of Liberation (starting on 26 March 1971) in which 3 million people courted martyrdom.