(26th March: National Day)
Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India
on all sides except for a small border with Burma (Myanmar) to the far southeast
and by the Bay of Bengal to the south. The capital (and largest city) is Dhaka,
which is the hub of all cultural, political and religious affairs. Together with
the Indian state of West Bengal, it makes up the ethno-linguistic region of
Bengal.
It is a founding member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation,
the D-8 and BIMSTEC(Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and
Economic Cooperation), and a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Non-Aligned Movement.
Bangladesh is a unitary state ( governed as one single unit ) and parliamentary
democracy. Direct elections in which all citizens, aged 18 or over, can vote are
held every five years for the unicameral parliament . Currently the parliament
has 345 members including 45 reserved seats for women, elected from
single-member constituencies. The Prime Minister, as the head of government,
forms the cabinet and runs the day-to-day affairs of state. While the Prime
Minister is formally appointed by the President, he or she must be an MP who
commands the confidence of the majority of parliament. The President is the head
of state but mainly a ceremonial post elected by the parliament. The
Constitution of Bangladesh was drafted in 1972 and has undergone 14 amendments.
The highest judicial body is the Supreme Court. Justices are appointed by the
President.
Bangladesh pursues a moderate foreign policy that places heavy reliance on
multinational diplomacy, especially at the United Nations. In 1974 Bangladesh
joined both the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations and has since
been elected to serve two terms on the Security Council in 1978–1979 and
2000–2001. In the 1980s, Bangladesh played a lead role in founding the South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in order to expand relations
with other South Asian states. Since the founding of SAARC 1985, a Bangladeshi
has held the post of Secretary General on two occasions.
Bangladesh enjoys relatively warm ties with the People's Republic of China which
has, particularly in the past decade, increased economic cooperation with the
South Asian nation. Between 2006 and 2007, trade between the two nations rose by
28.5% and there have been agreements to grant various Bangladeshi commodities
tariff-free access to the Chinese market. Cooperation between the Military of
Bangladesh and the People's Liberation Army is also increasing, with joint
military agreements signed and Bangladesh procuring Chinese arms which range
from small arms to large naval surface combatants such as the Chinese Type 053H1
Missile Frigate.
A major source of tension between Bangladesh and India is the Farakka Dam. In
1975, India constructed a dam on the Ganges River 18 km from the Bangladeshi
border. Bangladesh alleges that the dam diverts much needed water from
Bangladesh and adds a man-made disaster to the country already plagued by
natural disasters. The dam has had terrible ecological consequences. There are
so many other sources of tension between the nations. India has voiced concerns
about anti-Indian separatists and Islamic militants. The same two factors are
bone of content in between Pakistan and India. India has been ever disliking
country for all the neighboring countries.
Bangladesh is among the countries most prone to natural floods, tornados and
cyclones. Also, there is evidence that earthquakes pose a threat to the country.
Evidence shows that tectonics have caused rivers to shift course suddenly and
dramatically. It has been shown that rainy-season flooding in Bangladesh, on the
world’s largest river delta, can push the underlying crust down by as much as 6
centimeters. Bangladesh is now widely recognized to be one of the countries most
vulnerable to climate change. Natural hazards that come from increased rainfall,
rising sea levels, and tropical cyclones are expected to increase as climate
changes, each seriously affecting agriculture, water & food security, human
health and shelter. It is believed that in the coming decades the rising sea
level alone will create more than 20 million climate refugees. Bangladeshi water
is contaminated with arsenic frequently because of the high arsenic contents in
the soil.
Being members of OIC Pakistan & Bangladesh are two brother countries. The people
of both of the countries are one nation and have a very strong bonds of Muslim
brother hood. Pakistan and Bangladesh are part of Sub-Continent, due to this
territorial relativity both of the countries have almost same interests to meet
and same challenges to face. Specially Pakistan & Bangladesh are not in the good
books of India. In several times India has given tuff times to the both of the
brother countries and these two countries have very good and ideal relations
with China. So with the same interests, same challenges, same enemy and same
friend are some of the so many common matters of friend ship between Pakistan
and Bangladesh.