Bangladesh Government

The president, while chief of state, holds a largely ceremonial post; the real power is held by the prime minister, who is head of government. The president is elected by the legislature (Parliament) every 5 years. The president's normally circumscribed powers are substantially expanded during the tenure of a caretaker government. (Under the 13th Amendment, which the Parliament passed in March 1996, a caretaker government assumes power temporarily to oversee general elections after dissolution of the Parliament.) In the caretaker government, the president has control over the Ministry of Defense, the authority to declare a state of emergency, and the power to dismiss the Chief Adviser and other members of the caretaker government. Once elections have been held and a new government and Parliament are in place, the president's powers and position revert to their largely ceremonial role. ... [Read More]

V. Country Narratives -- Countries A through G

Cyprus is a destination country for women trafficked from Eastern and Central Europe for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Traffickers who forced women into prostitution continued to fraudulently recruit victims for work as dancers in cabarets and nightclubs on short-term "artiste" visas, for work in pubs and bars on employment visas, or for illegal work on tourist or student visas. There was increasing evidence of Chinese women being trafficked for sexual exploitation in Cyprus. The Government of Cyprus does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Cyprus made some progress in its anti-trafficking efforts over the past year. The new police anti-trafficking unit produced successful results and showed vigilance in combating the problem. Government recognition of the problem improve ... [Read More]

International Adoption Bangladesh

U.S. Department of State [Read More]

Background Notes: Bangladesh

Background Notes: BangladeshPA/PCSource: Office of Public Communication, Bureau of Public AffairsDate: Oct 15, 199010/15/90Category: Country DataRegion: South AsiaCountry: BangladeshSubject: Cultural Exchange, Resource Management, Military Affairs, History, International Organizations, Trade/Economics[TEXT]Official Name: People's Republic of BangladeshPROFILEGeographyArea: 143,998 sq. km. (55,813 sq. mi., about the size of Wisconsin).Cities: Capital-Dhaka (pop. 5 million). Other cities-Chittagong (1.8million), Khulna (1.2 million), Rajshahi (700,000). Terrain: Mainlyflat a ... [Read More]

Bangladesh

Religious organizations are not required to register with the Government; however, all nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), including religious organizations, are required to register with the Government's NGO Affairs Bureau if they receive foreign financial assistance for social development projects. The Government has the legal authority to cancel the registration of an NGO determined or suspected to be in breach of its legal or fiduciary obligations and to take other actions, such as blocking foreign funds transfers, to hinder its operation. During the period covered by this report, the Government took action in a nontransparent manner against six NGO's perceived as anti-Government or pro-opposition. In September 2003, one such NGO was closed temporarily after a government official claimed it had too many Hindus on its board of directors; however, it subsequently reopened. Another prominent NGO had its outside grants blocked after its director in 2001 wrote to the head ... [Read More]

Bangladesh

The Government developed a set of policies and plans regarding the trafficking issue, and initiated a program across a number of ministries to address the problem. Arrests and prosecutions increased significantly, and the Government launched a major national anti-trafficking prevention campaign to increase awareness of the problem among vulnerable groups. Nevertheless, the Government's capacity to address this issue remained limited. Government projects included conducting awareness campaigns, research, lobbying, and rescue and rehabilitation programs. While the Government provided support for returning trafficking victims, government-run shelters were generally inadequate and poorly run. ... [Read More]

Bangladesh

The Government's poor human rights record worsened, and the Government continued to commit numerous abuses. Security forces committed a number of extrajudicial killings. The police; the paramilitary organization, Bangladesh Rifles (BDR); the auxiliary organization, Ansar; and the military deputed to the RAB used unwarranted lethal force. Police often employed excessive, sometimes lethal, force in dealing with opposition demonstrators, and police and RAB personnel routinely employed physical and psychological torture during arrests and interrogations. Prison conditions were extremely poor and were a contributing factor in some deaths in custody. Police corruption remained a problem. Nearly all abuses went unpunished, and the climate of impunity, reinforced by 2003 legislation shielding security forces from legal challenge of their actions, remained a serious obstacle to ending abuse and killings. Violence, often resulting in deaths, was a pervasive element in the country's politics. Sup ... [Read More]

Bangladesh

AVIATION SAFETY OVERSIGHT: The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assessed the Government of Bangladesh as not being in compliance with ICAO international aviation safety standards for the oversight of Bangladesh’s air carrier operations. For more information, travelers may visit the FAA’s internet web site at www.faa.gov/avr/iasa/index.cfm . ... [Read More]

Background Notes Archive - South Asia

U.S. Department of StateBackground Notes: Bangladesh, July 1996Released by the Bureau of Public AffairsOfficial Name: People's Republic of BangladeshPROFILEGeographyArea: 143,998 sq. km. (55,813 sq. mi., about the size of Wisconsin).Cities: Capital--Dhaka (pop. 7 million). Other cities--Chittagong (2.8 million), Khulna (1.8 million), Rajshahi (1 million).Terrain: Mainly flat alluvial plain, with hills in the northeast and southeast.Climate: Semitropical, monsoonal.PeopleNationality: Noun and adjective--Bangladeshi(s).Population: 120 million.Annual growth rate: 2.1%.Ethnic groups: Bengali 98%, tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims.Religions: Muslim 83%; Hindu 16%; Christian, Buddhist, others 1%.Languages: Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English.Education: Attendance--73% (primary school), 17% (secondary school). Literacy--47% for males; 22% for females.Health: Infant mortality rate--118/1,000. Life expectancy--55 years (male), 54 years (female).Work force: 50 milli ... [Read More]

Gordon West, "Food and Agriculture in Bangladesh: A Success Story" - U.S. State Department - May 2002

One of the keys to this success has been the decision by the government to liberalize the import of food. Over the last 10 years, private traders have stepped in to import food grains during times of domestic shortfall, often driven by floods. These actions by private traders have provided both supply and price stabilization and have removed a major financial burden from the government. During fiscal year 1999, private sector food imports to address needs arising from the 1998 flood reached 2.26 million metric tons, mainly from India. Had the government of Bangladesh imported this grain itself, the total fiscal cost would have been about $185 million. The private sector's share in food imports climbed from zero in 1991 to 50 percent in 1996 and 100 percent in 2000. ... [Read More]