Bangladesh

In brief

Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. Its capital is Dhaka. With 175.7 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 8th in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 147,570 km². It shares land borders with India and Myanmar.

GDP per capita stands at $2,597 (2025), 148th in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 74.9 years (2024). 33% of the population lives in cities.

History of Bangladesh

The historic heart of Bengal, the region passed from Buddhist empires to the Mughal Empire and then British India. At partition in 1947 it became East Pakistan. On 21 February 1952 students were killed defending the Bengali language: UNESCO made the date International Mother Language Day. After a war of liberation, Bangladesh declared independence in 1971 under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In August 2024 a student uprising drove Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from power.

Geography of Bangladesh

Bangladesh covers most of the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna, the largest delta in the world. Very low-lying, it is exposed to floods and cyclones. The Sundarbans, on the coast, form the largest mangrove forest in the world, a refuge for the Bengal tiger. It is one of the most densely populated countries on the planet.

Map of Bangladesh

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Flag of Bangladesh

The flag of Bangladesh is red and green. Its official proportions are 3:5 (height to width).

• Green79%
• Red21%

Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.

What the flag stands for

Green, with a red disc set slightly towards the hoist so that it looks centred when the flag flies. The disc evokes the sun rising over Bengal and the blood shed for independence; green, the land.

Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Bangladesh” and “Flag of Bangladesh”.

See also: flags with a sun.

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Fact file

Economy and society