Bangladesh (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised Nov. 4, 2024 |
| Report Number |
IF10214 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
Maria A. Blackwood |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
-
Premium Revised Dec. 13, 2023 (3 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium Revised June 20, 2023 (2 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium Revised Sept. 27, 2022 (2 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium Revised Feb. 2, 2021 (3 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium Revised June 22, 2020 (86 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium Revised May 14, 2019 (2 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium April 24, 2015 (2 pages, $24.95)
add
|
Summary:
Bangladesh (East Pakistan until 1971) is a Muslim-majority
South Asian nation bordering India and Burma (Myanmar)
on the Bay of Bengal. The world’s eighth most populous
country, with approximately 169 million people, it has a
land area about the size of Iowa. Its democratic system has
faced many serious challenges, including political violence,
weak governance, corruption, poverty, demographic and
environmental strains, and Islamist militancy. The United
States and Bangladesh have partnered on various issues and
worked together to promote shared interests, including
advancing “a shared vision of a free, open, inclusive,
peaceful, and secure Indo-Pacific region.”
In August 2024, student-led protests in Bangladesh led to
the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who had
secured a fourth consecutive term in office in January 2024
parliamentary elections that were boycotted by major
opposition parties and described by the U.S. Department of
State as “not free or fair.” Bangladesh is a parliamentary
democracy that conducts regular elections, but analysts
expressed concern that it was backsliding toward a hybrid
regime combining elements of authoritarianism and
democracy under Hasina and her Awami League (AL)
party. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) functioned
as the main opposition party during Hasina’s tenure. The
future of both parties and of Bangladesh’s overall political
landscape is now uncertain. An interim government headed
by Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize-winning
economist, is set to remain in place until new elections are
held; no plans have been announced for that potential vote.
The interim government faces a range of challenges,
including high inflation, high youth unemployment, and
slowing growth—factors that contributed to dissatisfaction
with Hasina’s rule. The World Bank assesses that
Bangladesh’s economic growth rate fell from an estimated
7.1% in 2022 to 6% in 2023. The Economist Intelligence
Unit (EIU) expects growth to decelerate further in light of
the political situation and persistent inflation. Some experts
have raised concerns that political instability may
undermine Bangladesh’s garment industry as international
buyers seek alternative suppliers. Readymade garments
accounted for 85% of Bangladesh’s exports in 2023. The
World Bank reported remittances to Bangladesh of $21.5
billion in 2022.
