Flag
description: green
with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side
of center; the red sun of freedom represents
the blood shed to achieve independence; the
green field symbolizes the lush countryside, and
secondarily,
the traditional color of Islam
Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between
Burma and India
Land boundaries:
total: 4,246 km border countries:
Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km
Background: Bangladesh came into existence in 1971 when Bengali
East Pakistan seceded from its union with West
Pakistan. About a third of this extremely poor
country floods annually during the monsoon rainy
season, hampering economic development.
National holiday Independence Day, 26 March
(1971); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of
independence from West Pakistan, 16 December
1971 is Victory Day and commemorates the
official creation of the state of Bangladesh
Prior to the time of Bangladeshs' liberation in
1971, most visitors kept their visits to, Dhaka
and Agrabad, however with limited satisfactory
accomodation in the rest of Bangladesh at that
time, saw neighbouring Kolkata in West Bengal,
who were well ahead with their facilities, soar
in popularity. It took until the middle of the
nineteen nineties for the improvement in
accomodation started to show increased numbers
of tourist flow.
Since the
year 2000 tourists arriving in Bangladesh have
been swelling in numbers. Also travelling
further within the country and visiting places
like Cox' Bazaar, Teknaf, the Sundarbans,
Kuakata, Paharpur and Tetulia. Not only is it
international visitors but locals are also
taking their holidays and coming to Dhaka,
Khulna and Chittgong. All these travellers
require appropriate accommodation and the demand
in hotel beds and restaurants are now being met
for everytaste and every budget. Many of the
visitors are expariate Bangladeshi coming to
Bangladesh not only to visit their families, but
for a holiday and to experience the vibrant and
culturally rich country of their forebearers.
Catering for all these people have seen an
increase in the demand for new hotels and
restaurants in Dhaka and other tourist
locations.
The language of Bangladesh
Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English
Bengali
is an Indo-Aryan language it evolved from
Sanskrit. Sanskrit being one of the oldest
languages documented in the world. Bengali
writing is a cursive script like other Indian
scripts, originating from the Brahmi alphabet of
the Asokan inscriptions. It contains 52
consonants and 12 vowels. English is also spoken
in many places.
Ethnic groups:
Bengali 98%,
tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims (1998)
Religions:Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1%
(1998)
Traveling through Bangladesh is cheap.
Tipping is encouraged in most restaurants
frequented by foreigners, expect around 5%. It's
how much of the staff make their wage, so please
be thoughtful in this regard as some tourists
can be a little stingy, being used to their own
countries. "Baksheesh" is Bangla for tipping.
When purchasing a souvenir, you'll find the
people skilled in the art of bargaining. This is
also custom, remember have fun with it even
though you might feel a little frustrated. Just
start at around half of what the asking price is
and go from there. Walk away if you feel the
price is too high, there are many other sellers
nearby. Just be aware of the restrictions of
your own country and conscience when making a
purchase. There are some industries that you you
shouldn't encourage in any country.
Exchange rates:
taka per US dollar - 57.89 (2002), 55.81 (2001),
52.14 (2000), 49.09 (1999), 46.91 (1998)
Climate:
tropical; mild winter (October to March);
hot, humid summer (March to June);
humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)
Geography : most of the country is
situated on deltas of large rivers flowing from
the Himalayas:
the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main
channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the
Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of
Bengal
Terrain: mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly
in southeast
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point:
Keokradong 1,230 m
Dhaka: capital city (pop. est
12,317,000) sights of interest to tourists. Some
places that are worth your while include
the Lalbagh Fort, the National Assembly Building
(designed by Louis Kahn),
Baitul Mukkaram Mosque and the national gardens
(be on the lookout for mongooses there).
Also visit the Star Mosque, Nawab's Palace, the
Supreme Court building, an Armenian church and
cemetery and the Buddhist monastery. (Buddhists
were once the majority, they now account for
small percentage of the population.)
Poking around the bazaars and shops along the
riverfront, but if you do so, be prepared for
crowds.
One night in Dhaka will allow you to see most of
the above, but consider taking an excursion or
two:
Health
Health issues in Bangladesh like in most poorer
countries of the world are not too good, once
you are out of the major centres. It's always
best to carry with you your personal items and
if you are engaging in a higher than normal risk
sport, take a first aid kit with sterile
syringes. The lists of communicable and
potentially deadly diseases is long, and some
countries fail to give accurate accounts of the
afflicted for fear of loss of tourism revenue.
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