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Bangladesh, officially known as the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. Together with the Indian state of West Bengal it makes up the ethno – linguistic region of Bengal. The name "Bangladesh" means "Country of Bengal".
Official Languages:
The official language of the republic is Bangla.
Independence, Republic and Government:
European traders arrived in the 15th century and their influence grew until the British East India Company gained control over Bengal after the Battle of Plassey in 1757. Between 1905 and 1911 an attempt was made to divide the province of Bengal into two zones with Dhaka being the capital of the eastern zone. When India was partitioned in 1947, Bengal was also partitioned along the religious line. The borders of Bangladesh was set as the eastern wing of Pakistan during the partition of India in 1947. Despite the common religion, Islam the ethnic and linguistic gulf between the two wings resulted in a friction. The Language Movement of 1952 is the example of that dissatisfaction. Under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1971 Bangladesh gained its independence after the bloody Bangladesh Liberation War in which it was supported by India.
Bangladesh is a parliamentary democracy. The president is the head of the state although it is largely a ceremonial post. The real power lies in the hand of the Prime Minister who is the head of the government. The president is elected after every five years and has normally a limited power. The prime minister is ceremonially appointed by the president and must be a member of parliament (MP). The constitution of Bangladesh was written in 1972 and has undergone fourteen amendments. The highest judiciary body is the Supreme Court. Laws are loosely based on English Common Law, but family law such as marriage and inheritance are based on religious scripts, and hence differs from one religious community to other.
Top Cities of Bangladesh:
In Bangladesh there are four metropolitan cities or city corporations and 104 municipal towns or pourashavas or municipalties. Following is a list of the major cities and towns of Bangladesh under different district heads:
Barishal Division
- Barguna
- Barishal
- Bhola
- Jhalokati
- Patuakhali
- Pirojpur
Chittagong Division
- Bandarban
- Brahmanbaria
- Chandpur
- Comilla
- Cox's Bazaar
- Feni
- Khagrachhari
- Lakshmipur
- Noakhali
- Rangamati
- Chittagong
Dhaka Division
- Dhaka
- Faridpur
- Gazipur
- Gopalganj
- Kishoreganj
- Mymensingh
- Rajbari
- Narayanganj
- Sherpur
- Tangail
Khulna Division
- Bagherhat
- Chaudanga
- Jessore
- Khulna
- Meherpur
- Narail
- Shatkhira
Rajshahi Division
- Dinajpur
- Gaibandha
- Lalmonirhat
- Natore
- Pabna
- Rajshahi
- Sirajganj
- Saidpur
Sylhet Division
- Habiganj
- Maulvi bazar
- Sylhet
- Shamla
Culture and Heritage:
Bangladesh has a composite culture and over years it has assimilated influences of Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Islam. This is manifested in various forms, that includes music, dance, drama, art and craft, folklore and folktales, literature, philosophy, religion, festivals and celebrations and also a distinct culinary tradition. The music and dance styles of Bangladesh may be divided into three categories, namely, the classical, folk and the modern. The classical style has been influenced by the prevalent classical forms of dance and music of the Indian subcontinent. The folk and tribal music and dance forms of Bangladesh are of indigenous origin and is deeply rooted in the soil of Bangladesh. The recent influence of the western music have given rise to a number of rock bands mainly in the urban area like Dhaka.
Cottage and handicraft industries plays a vital role in sustaining the cultural heritage of Bangladesh. The most prominent handicrafts of Bangladesh in early and middle ages were textiles, metal works, jewelery, wood works and bamboo works. Later, jute and leather became the major raw material for handicraft. Nakshi katha or embroidered quilt are a popular and indigenous handicraft of Bangladesh. Although katha has a utilitarian aspect but many people use them for decorative purpose because of its vivid patterns, borders and motifs.
Tourism
Bangladesh as a vacation land has many facets. The tourist attractions of Bangladesh includes archaeological sites, historic mosques and monuments, resorts, beaches, picnic sports, forest and wild life. Bangladesh also offers opportunities for angling, water – skiing, river cruising, hiking, rowing, surfing, yachting and sea bathing. Bangladesh is rich in wildlife and game birds. Some of the important places of tourist's attraction are:
- The Cox's bazaar beach – the longest beach of Bangladesh
- Gokul Medh - a historical relic at Mahasthangarh, Bogra,
- Chittagong port – a busy international seaport
- Bayazid bostami bazaar, Chittagong – a shrine that attracts tourists
- Foy's lake Chittagong – a beautiful lake and an ideal sport for outing and picnic
Dhaka University
- Star mosque – an ancient mosque
- Dhakeswari temple – a temple of the 11th century
- Armenian church – a church founded in 1677
- Ommental kantanager temple - a beautiful temple embellished with terracota that represents flora and fauna and mythical scenes
- Kuthibari – Rabindranath Tagore's jamindari headoffice
Rajshahi University
- Lalbagh fort – a beautiful fort bulit in 1678 by prince Mohammad Azam, son of the mughal emperor Auranzeb
- Bangabandhu memorial museum – residence of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
- Dakha zoological garden – the largest zoological garden of Bangladesh
countriesandcapitals provides you with complete information about Bangladesh and its capital city, Dhaka.
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