Bangladesh: Background and U.S. Relations (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Revised Aug. 2, 2007 |
| Report Number |
RL33646 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Bruce Vaughn, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
Bangladesh (the former East Pakistan) gained its independence in 1971, following India's intervention in a rebellion against West Pakistan (currently called Pakistan). Democratic elections in 1991 ended two decades of authoritarian rule in Dhaka. The Bangladesh National Party (BNP), which led the ruling coalition of the previous government, and the leading opposition party, the Awami League (AL), traditionally have dominated Bangladeshi politics. The BNP is led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia while the AL is led by Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh has been a largely moderate and democratic majority Muslim country. This status has been under threat from a combination of political violence, weak governance, poverty, corruption, and Islamist militancy. When in opposition, both parties have sought to regain control of the government through demonstrations, labor strikes, and transport blockades.
Bangladesh is now ruled by a military-backed caretaker government led by Fakhruddin Ahmed that appears unlikely to relinquish power in the near term. It is pursuing an anti-corruption drive that could overturn the normal political elites. It is also seeking to put in place voter reforms, including issuing identity cards, and has moved against militant Islamists. While there has been concern that the new military-backed caretaker government would be reluctant to relinquish power, it has presented a roadmap for new elections and a return to democracy in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is one of the poorest and most corrupt countries of the world. The largely agricultural economy suffers frequent and serious setbacks from cyclones and floods. While economic progress has been made, it has been impaired by rivalry between the two largest political parties. Bangladesh is thought to have large reserves of natural gas.
Political violence has become part of the political landscape in Bangladesh. A.M.S. Kibria, a finance minister in a previous Awami League government, and four others were killed in a bomb attack that also injured 70 at a political rally of the Awami League on January 27, 2005. On August 21, 2004, an apparent political assassination attempt on opposition leader Sheikh Hasina at a political rally in Dhaka killed 22. These two attacks, and widespread bombings on August 17, 2005, that claimed 26 lives and injured dozens others, are the most notable incidents among many in recent years.
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 has viewed Bangladesh as a moderate voice in the Islamic world. Some analysts are concerned that Islamist parties have gained influence through the political process and that this has created space for militant activities inside the country. Some allege that the presence in the former ruling Bangladesh National Party (BNP) coalition government of two Islamist parties, the Islamiya Okiyya Jote (IOJ) and the Jamaat-e-Islami, contributed to the expansion of Islamist influence in Bangladesh.
