LegiStorm

Summary:

Bangladesh (the former East Pakistan) is an Islamic-majority nation in South Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, dominated by low-lying riparian zones. It is the world's eighth-largest country in terms of population, with 164 million people housed in a land mass the size of Iowa. Roughly 80% of Bangladesh's population lives on less than $2 per day. It suffers from high levels of corruption and, at times, a faltering democratic system that has been subject to pressure from the military, though the nation has an established reputation as a largely moderate and democratic majority Muslim country. U.S. policy toward Bangladesh emphasizes support for political stability and democracy, development, and human rights. The United States has long-standing supportive relations with Bangladesh and views Bangladesh as a moderate voice in the Islamic world. The United States offers economic assistance to Bangladesh, and has military-to-military ties that include cooperation in multilateral peacekeeping. Bangladesh is also of interest to the United States for the role it plays in the larger geopolitical dynamics of South Asia. Bangladesh has been under threat from a combination of political violence, weak governance, poverty, corruption, and Islamist militancy. There has been concern in the past that influence by Islamist extremists could increase and destabilize the country. Such concerns have abated somewhat in more recent years as Islamist militants have been vigorously pursued by authorities and as Bangladesh has returned to democratic government. That said, experts continue to warn that militants may regroup and present new challenges in Bangladesh despite the significant efforts by the government of Bangladesh against them. The Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and the Awami League (AL) traditionally have dominated Bangladeshi politics, with the AL in power since January 2009. The AL is led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina while the BNP is led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. When in opposition, both parties have sought to regain control of the government through demonstrations, labor strikes, and transport blockades. The current Hasina government came to power with an overwhelming majority in parliament. It has moved forward with a war crimes tribunal to prosecute atrocities from the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. The Hasina government has also moved to strengthen ties with both India and China. With the help of the army, it successfully suppressed a mutiny by the Bangladesh Rifles, a border guard unit, in February 2009. Demographic pressure and environmental problems, some likely exacerbated by climate change, are increasingly problems for Bangladesh. A rising population, when combined with limited economic resilience and limits on the extent to which agricultural output can be expanded, could prove to be politically destabilizing in the future. Bangladesh's population increases by approximately 2.2 million each year. This raises urgent questions concerning Bangladesh's future food security. Minority groups in Bangladesh, as well as women's rights and security are threatened due to socio-religious prejudices. Another key concern is worker rights and worker safety. Bangladesh is an important part of global supply chains, particularly in the textile industry, and successive factory disasters there have increased global and U.S. concerns about its labor rights regime.