Bangladesh Climate

Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon-type climate, with a hot and rainy summer and a pronounced dry season in the cooler months. January is the coolest month of the year, with temperatures averaging near 26 deg C (78 d F), and April the warmest month, with temperatures ranging between 33 deg and 36 deg C (91 deg F and 96 deg F). The climate is one of the wettest in the world; most places receive more than 1,525 mm (60 in) of rain a year, and areas near the hills receive 5,080 mm (200 in). Most rain falls during the monsoon (June-September) and little during the dry season (November-February).

Bangladesh Land Resources

The Chittagong Hills in eastern and southeastern Bangladesh include the highest and most rugged parts of the nation, with elevations rising to more than 1,200 m (4,000 ft) above sea level. The remainder of Bangladesh is generally low-lying, with elevations approaching only 300 m (900 ft) in the hills of the northwest and northeast and considerably lower on the vast deltaic plains on the BRAHMAPUTRA, GANGES, and Meghna rivers. The lowlands of the delta region are crisscrossed by numerous distributaries of the main rivers.

About 6% of the total land area of Bangladesh is permanently under water, and two-thirds is flooded for part of the year. The floods often result in great loss of life, crops, and property damage but are, nonetheless, of special value to agricultural Bangladesh for the sediments (alluvium) that the muddy floodwaters deposit on the land. These alluvial soils are rich minerals and other nutrients needed for plant growth.

Bangladesh Maps and Images

Maps

* Huge map of the Moghul Empire (ca) 16th C [404K, JPG]
* South Asia [152K, GIF]
* South Asia, simplified [11K, GIF]
* Location on Globe [17K, GIF]

Bangladesh Geography

Bangladesh is a riverine nation situated in the middle of the ganges delta. Mostly flat, there are a few hilly areas in the south east and the north east.

The delta landmass comprise mainly of three mighty rivers the-Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna, with a network of numerous rivers and canals. Vast green fields are hounded by low hills in the northeast and the southeast with an average elevation of 244 and 610 metres respectively. The highest point is located in the south-eastern extremity of Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Bangladesh National Icons

The National Emblem of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. The national flower Shapla (water Lily) is surrounded by two sheaves of rice.

Bangladesh teems with icons and symbols, not the least of which is the ubiquitous Royal Bengal Tiger. This majestic beast finds its home in Bangladesh, in the still pristine mangrove forests of the Sundarbans.

The Doel or the magpie robin is the national bird of Bangladesh.

The Jackfruit [Kathal] is our national fruit. The fruit has a pungent yet distinctive flavor not unlike the Durian of South East Asia. The fruit can grow to huge sizes hundreds of pounds in weight.

The National Parliament (shawngshod bhawbon) is an architectural wonder. Designed by the famous American architect Louis Kahn, this is the seat of the government.

The Water Lily (shapla) is the national flower of Bangladesh.

Shaheed Minar (Martyrs Memorial): We truly value our independence and the sacrifices made to achieve our freedom. Starting as a language movement, nascent nationalism culminated in the birth of Bangladesh after a 9 month long War of Independence.

Here in this sombre memorial we remember the first sacrifices made to preserve our freedom and independence. The National Monument reminds us of those who gave their lives so the we can be free.

The National Anthem of Bangladesh

The anthem was composed by the great Rabindranath Tagore, winner of the Nobel prize for literature in 1913 for his literature.
Amar Shonar Bangla (My Golden Bengal)

My Bengal of gold, I love you
Forever your skies, your air set my heart in tune as if it were a flute,
In Spring, Oh mother mine, the fragrance from your mango-groves makes me wild with joy-
Ah, what a thrill!
In Autumn, Oh mother mine,
in the full-blossomed paddy fields,
I have seen spread all over – sweet smiles!
Ah, what a beauty, what shades, what an affection
and what a tenderness!
What a quilt have you spread at the feet of banyan trees and along the banks of rivers!
Oh mother mine, words from your lips are like Nectar to my ears!
Ah, what a thrill!
If sadness, Oh mother mine, casts a gloom on your face,
my eyes are filled with tears!

Original in Bangla by Rabindranath Tagore translated by Professor Syed Ali Ahsan

Bangladesh Flag

The Flag
Flag adopted 13 January 1972, coat of arms adopted February 1971.

The national flag is bottle green in color and rectangular in size with the length to width ratio of 10:6 bearing a red circle on the body of the green. The red circle has a radius of one fifth of the length of the flag. Its center is placed on the middle of the perpendicular drawn from the nine twentieth part of the flag. The background color symbolizes the greenery of Bangladesh with its vitality and youthfulness while the red disc represents the rising sun and the sacrifice our people made to obtain our independence.

Prescribed sizes of the flag for buildings are 305cm X 183cm, 152cm X 91cm and 76cm X 46cm and for vehicles are 38cm X 23cm and 25cm X 15cm.

Historical Flag

This is the first flag of the independence movement. Initially, the flag had a map of Bangladesh in gold at the center of the red circle. This was the original design of the flag of Bangladesh under which the valiant freedom fighters fought during our liberation war. On the 3rd of March 1971, ASM Abdur Rab, the then Vice President of Dhaka University Students´ Union, hoisted the flag for the first time at the historic Dhaka University location known as bawt-tawla. This flag was also raised at the then Ramna Racecourse (now a park renamed as Shuhrawardy Uddayan) when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman gave his historic speech proclaiming “this struggle is the struggle for liberation.

Bangladesh Location

Overview

With an area of about 144,000 sq km, Bangladesh is situated between latitudes 20~34′ and 26~38′ north and latitudes 88~01′ and 92~41′ east. The country is bordered by India on the east, west and north and by the Bay of Bengal on the south. There is also a small strip of frontier with Burma on the southeastern edge. The land is a deltaic plain with a network of numerous rivers and canals.

Bangladesh Brief Facts

Official Name
The People’s Republic Of Bangladesh
Location
Latitude between 20 degree 34′ and 26 degree 39′ north. Longitude between 88 degree 00′ and 92 degree 41′ east.
Area
144,000 sq. km.
Boundary
Bounded by India from the north, east and west and by the Bay of Bengal and Burma from the south.
Climate
Main seasons : Winter (Nov – Feb), Summer (Mar – Jun), Monsoon (Jul – Oct). Temp : Max 34 degree Celsius, Min 8 degree Celsius.
Rainfall
Lowest 47″ and highest 136″
Capital
Dhaka (Present area 414 sq. km. Master plan 777 sq.km.)

Population
Total estimated population 130 million.
State Language
Bangla. English is also widely spoken and understood
National Days
National Martyrs Day – February 21 Independence Day – March 26 Victory Day – December 16
Principal Rivers
Padma, Meghna, Jamuna, Brahmaputra, Madhumati, Surma and Kushiara
Principal Crops
Jute, rice, tobacco, tea, sugarcane, vegetables, potato, pulses, etc.
Important Fruits
Mango, banana, pineapple, jack-fruit, water-melon, green coconut, guava, licis, etc.
Major Industries
Jute, sugar, paper, textiles, fertilizers, cigeratte, cement, steel, natural gas, oil-refinery, newsprint, power generation, rayon, matches, fishing and food processing, leather, soap, carpet, timber, ship-building, telephone, etc.
Sea Ports
Chittagong and Mongla
Airports
Zia international airport, Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet, domestic airports at Chittagong, Jessore, Sylhet, Cox’s Bazar, Rajshahi and Saidpur
Electricity
220 Volts A.C. in all cities and towns
Tourist Seasons
October to March
Main Tourist Attractions
Colorful tribal life, longest sea beach, centuries’ old archeological sites, home of the Royal Bengal Tiger, largest tea gardens, interesting riverine life, etc.
Wearing Apparel
Tropical in summer, and light-woolen in winter
Currency
The unit of currency is the Taka. Notes are in denominations of 1,2,5,10,20,50,100 and 500 Taka. Coins are 1,5,10,25,50 and 100 Paisa (100 Paisa = 1 Taka)

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