Bangladesh is one of the world’s newer countries, having achieved independence from Pakistan in 1971. At the time, the U.S. opposed independence out of loyalty to its ally Pakistan, but relations between the two countries quickly became close and cooperative. Bangladesh is a poor country currently enjoying robust economic growth, albeit at the cost of weakening protections for its workers’ health, wages, and organizing rights. It is one of a few majority Muslim countries with a democratic political system, although its politics have often been highly turbulent with street protests and mob actions, and human rights abuses have become more common in recent years. 

 

Lay of the Land: Bangladesh, or “Bengal Nation,” is located at the eastern edge of Asia’s Indian subcontinent, on the delta and alluvial plain of the Padma River (which is the combination of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers). Bangladesh is almost completely surrounded by India, but the southeastern Division of Chittagong shares a 119-mile-long border with Burma, and to the south of Bangladesh is the Bay of Bengal. With a total area of 55,599 square miles, it is about the size of Iowa. Except for the Chittagong Hills in the southeastern portion of the country, the land is flat. As much as one third of the country is subject to flooding during the monsoon season. 

 

Population: 153.5 million

 

Religions: Sunni Muslim 88.6%, Hindu 9.6%, Christian 0.7%, Buddhist 0.6%, Ethnoreligious 0.5%, non-religious 0.1%.

 

Ethnic Groups: Bengali 98.5%, other (includes tribal groups) 2%

 

Languages: Bengali (official) 70.8%, Chittagonian 9.9%, Sylheti 5.0%, Burmese 0.3%, Chakma 0.3%, Arakanese 0.1%, Garo 0.1%, Kok Borok 0.1%, Tippera 0.1%. There are 39 living languages in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh comprises the eastern half of what used to be called Bengal. The remnants of past civilization in what is now both Bangladesh (which was East Bengal) and West Bengal (in India) date back about 4,000 years, and the history of Bengal region has its own culture, literature and language. One distinguishing trait of Bangladesh (and previously East Bengal) is the predominance of Islam, which arrived in the 12th century and has been the majority religion since that time. Like the rest of the subcontinent, Bengal came under the rule of the British during the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1947, the subcontinent was partitioned into two countries, majority Hindu India and majority Muslim Pakistan, which itself was divided between West Pakistan (now simply Pakistan) and East Pakistan, which is now the independent country of Bangladesh. The two halves of Pakistan were separated by 1,000 miles. Growing dissatisfaction with the dominance of West Pakistan, as well as cultural and linguistic differences, led to a movement for autonomy in the 1960s, and eventually to a war for independence in 1971. The U.S. supported Pakistan in opposing Bangladesh independence, but did little to affect the outcome. Critical military assistance from India assured victory to Bangladesh, and independence was established on December 17, 1971. Since independence, Bangladesh has been one of the only Muslim countries with a multi-party, competitive political system, and while its politics have been turbulent and sometimes violent, Bangladeshis vote in very high numbers, and view democracy as one of the important legacies of their independence struggle.

 

 

U.S.-Bangladesh relations have been close and cooperative. These relations were boosted in March 2000 when President Clinton visited Bangladesh, the first-ever visit by a sitting U.S. President. A centerpiece of the bilateral relationship is the large U.S. aid program, which will total about $110 million in fiscal year 2008. U.S. economic and food aid programs, which began as emergency relief following the 1971 war for independence, now concentrate on long-term development. U.S. assistance objectives include stabilizing population growth, protecting human health, encouraging broad-based economic growth, and building democracy. In total, the United States has provided more than $4.3 billion in food and development assistance to Bangladesh. U.S. development assistance emphasizes family planning and health, agricultural development, and rural employment. At times of natural disaster, moreover, the U.S. has generally provided large amounts of humanitarian aid and assistance. 

 

Since the Al Qaeda attacks on September 11, 2001, Bangladesh has become more important to the United States and its “war on terror.” During the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, Bangladesh participated by offering the use of its airspace, ports and aircraft refueling stations, but it did not commit troops either to that war or to the later one in Iraq. Bangladeshi reluctance arose both because of popular opinion, which was against the Iraq war, and because Bangladesh policy has been to participate militarily only under United Nations auspices. In March 2006, President George W. Bush became the second sitting President to visit Bangladesh, underscoring the increasing importance of Bangladesh to U.S. foreign policy. Indeed, Bangladesh has become a United States ally in the Global War on Terror. As part of their efforts, Bangladesh has begun to address money laundering and weak border controls to ensure that Bangladesh does not become a terrorist safe-haven. In July 2006, the U.S. Navy's hospital ship Mercy visited Bangladesh and U.S. personnel worked with Bangladeshi medical personnel to provide medical treatment to Bangladeshi patients. Between 2005 and 2008, the United States obligated $2.2 million in grant aid funding (Foreign Military Financing) to purchase Defender class small boats for the Coast Guard of Bangladesh, and allocated $934,000 in IMET (International Military Education and Training) for 2007. In addition to heavy flooding at the end of summer 2007, Cyclone Sidr hit the country on November 15, 2007, causing widespread devastation and affecting the lives of millions of people. Following the cyclone, U.S. troops and two U.S. naval vessels assisted in the delivery of relief supplies to cyclone victims, and USAID provided approximately $19.5 million in food and relief items.

 

The 2000 U.S. census listed 95,294 people identifying themselves as having Bangladeshi origin. Almost 50% of Bangladeshis in the U.S. over the age of 25 had at least a Bachelor's degree as compared to less than 25% of the United States population. Since the country of Bangladesh was founded only in 1971, immigrants from the Bengali region before that time were listed as Pakistani or, before 1947, Indian. Immigrants from this region have come to the U.S. in small numbers since the turn of the 20th century, though they were limited by racially exclusionary immigration laws before the passage of the more liberal Immigration Act of 1965. There is a large population of undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants in the U.S., with estimates ranging as high as 150,000. New York City claims the largest Bangladeshi community, with other large communities congregating in Los Angeles, Miami, Washington D.C., and Atlanta. Although Bangladesh is not a major tourist destination, 16,516 Americans visited Bangladesh in 2006. The number of tourists has fluctuated between a low of 13,422 (2005) and a high of 27,895 (2004) since 2002. 8,288 Bangladeshis visited the U.S. in 2006. The number of Bangladeshis traveling to America has remained very close to 9,000 since 2002.

 

Although 63% Bangladeshis work in agriculture, manufacturing (especially of clothing and textiles) contributes more to the country’s GDP and exports. The leading customers for Bangladesh’s exports are the U.S. (23.9% of the total), Germany (12.2%), the U.K. (9.7%), and France (5%), while Bangladesh imports its goods from China (17.7%), India (13.2%), Kuwait (8.1%), and Singapore (4.9%). For 2007, U.S. imports from Bangladesh totaled $3.4 billion, predominantly clothing and textiles, which accounted for $3.2 billion or 93% of all U.S. imports from Bangladesh. For the same year, U.S. exports to Bangladesh came up to $456 million, mainly food ($131 million or 28.7%), machinery and other equipment ($78 million or 17%), raw cotton ($59 million or 13%), and steelmaking materials ($39.5 million or 8.67%). The U.S.-based energy corporation, Chevron, has been making large investments in the growing natural gas production sector of the economy. 

 

The U.S. gave $84.2 million in aid to Bangladesh in 2007. The budget allotted the most funds to Health ($50.7 million), Disaster Readiness ($6.5 million), Humanitarian Assistance: Protection, Assistance and Solutions ($3.6 million), and Good Governance ($3.2 million). The 2008 budget estimate significantly increased aid to Bangladesh, to $105 million, and the 2009 budget request will retain aid at similar levels, at $106.8 million. The 2009 budget will distribute the most aid to Health ($42.7 million), Good Governance ($11.5 million), Social Services and Protection for Especially Vulnerable People ($8.8 million), Disaster Readiness ($6.1 million), and Private Sector Competitiveness ($5.1 million).

 

Bangladesh: Security Assistance (the U.S. sold $37.8 million of defense articles and services to Bangladesh in 2007)

 

The American labor movement has argued that certain trade preferences granted to Bangladesh should be suspended because labor rights are denied in Bangladesh’s “export processing zones,” where foreign companies enjoy certain exemptions from regulatory laws, including labor laws. 

USTR hears GSP petition (by Kazi Azizul Islam, Dhaka New Age) (scroll down)

Hello, Bangladesh: Please Take Note (Human Rights for Workers)

 

Bangladesh is a multiparty parliamentary democracy with a history of political violence between the two major parties. Since October 2006, however, the country has been run by a “caretaker government,” pursuant to a unique constitutional provision requiring nonpartisan governance when elections are imminent. The caretaker government was supposed to hold elections in early 2007, but political unrest led to the postponement of elections, which are set for December 2008. The government’s human rights record has worsened recently, owing in part to the state of emergency and postponement of elections. The Emergency Powers Rules of 2007 suspended many fundamental rights, including freedom of press, freedom of association, and the right to bail. An anticorruption drive initiated by the government, while somewhat popular, gave rise to concerns about due process, as more than 200,000 people, including the leaders of the two major political parties, were arrested. For most of 2007 the government banned political activities, although this policy was enforced unevenly. Further, there are signs that some factions within the military foresee it playing a more prominent political role in the near future. While there was a significant drop in the number of extrajudicial killings by security forces, they were accused of serious abuses, including custodial deaths, arbitrary arrest and detention, and harassment of journalists. Some members of security forces acted with impunity and committed acts of physical and psychological torture. Violence against women and children remained a major problem, labor rights are regularly violated, and trafficking in persons continues.

 

The role of Bangladesh’s Export Processing Zones (EPZ’s) in shaping the country’s economic and social structure, as well as their place in U.S. – Bangladesh trade, has yielded considerable debate.

Freedom of Association in Bangladesh (Fair Labor Association)

 

Internationally-Recognised Core Labour Stamdards in Bangladesh, (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions) (PDF)

Bangladesh: Industrial Chaos Worsens Political Instability (by Anand Kumar, South Asia Analysis Group) 

 

Bangladesh ready to rival Asia's mighty manufacturing hubs (by Eric Prideaux, Japan Times)

Performance of Export Processing Zones: A Comparative Analysis of India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh (by Aradhna Aggarwa, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations) (PDF)

 

Name: Davis Eugene Boster

State of Residency: Ohio

Foreign Service officer

Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

Appointment: Feb 28, 1974

Presentation of Credentials: Apr 13, 1974

Termination of Mission: Left post, Sep 10, 1976

Note: Boster was also Ambassador to Guatemala from 1976 to 1979.

 

Name: Edward E. Masters

State of Residency: Ohio

Foreign Service officer

Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

Appointment: Oct 4, 1976

Presentation of Credentials: Nov 5, 1976

Termination of Mission: Left post, Nov 27, 1977

Note: Masters also served as Ambassador to Indonesia in 1977. 

 

Name: David T. Schneider

State of Residency: Maryland

Foreign Service officer

Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

Appointment: Mar 2, 1978

Presentation of Credentials: Mar 29, 1978

Termination of Mission: Left post, Jul 25, 1981

 

Name: Jane Abell Coon

State of Residency: New Hampshire

Foreign Service officer

Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

Appointment: Jun 30, 1981

Presentation of Credentials: Aug 11, 1981

Termination of Mission: Left post, Aug 3, 1984

 

Name: Howard Bruner Schaffer

State of Residency: New York

Foreign Service officer

Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

Appointment: Aug 13, 1984

Presentation of Credentials: Sep 26, 1984

Termination of Mission: Left post, Jul 9, 1987

 

Name: Willard Ames De Pree

State of Residency: Maryland

Foreign Service officer

Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

Appointment: Jul 2, 1987

Presentation of Credentials: Oct 5, 1987

Termination of Mission: Left post Aug 17, 1990

Note: De Pree also served as Ambassador to Mozambique from 1976 to 1980. 

 

Name: William B. Milam

State of Residency: California

Foreign Service officer

Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

Appointment: Jun 27, 1990

Presentation of Credentials: Sep 1, 1990

Termination of Mission: Left post, Oct 9, 1993

Note: Milam also served as Ambassador to Pakistan from 1998-2001.

 

Name: Daniel Nathan Merrill

State of Residency: Maryland

Foreign Service officer

Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

Appointment: Feb 11, 1994

Presentation of Credentials: Apr 5, 1994

Termination of Mission: Left post, May 14, 1997

 

Name: John C. Holzman

State of Residency: Hawai’i

Foreign Service officer

Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

Appointment: Aug 1, 1997

Presentation of Credentials: Sep 2, 1997

Termination of Mission: Left post Jul 6, 2000

 

Name: Mary Ann Peters

State of Residency: California

Foreign Service officer

Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

Appointment: Sep 15, 2000

Presentation of Credentials: Sep 25, 2000

Termination of Mission: Left post Jun 19, 2003

 

Name: Harry K. Thomas, Jr.

State of Residency: New York

Foreign Service officer

Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

Appointment: May 27, 2003

Presentation of Credentials: Aug 14, 2003

Termination of Mission: Left post, Jul 2, 2005

 

Name: Patricia A. Butenis

State of Residency: Virginia

Foreign Service officer

Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

Appointment: February 21, 2006

Presentation of Credentials: April 13, 2006

Termination of Mission: April 1, 2008

 

 

 

Qader received his master’s degree in Islamic history from Dhaka University and worked briefly as a college lecturer in the 1960s.

 

He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the government of Pakistan in 1968 as a section officer.

 

In 1970, Qader attended a specialized course in organization and methods at the National Institute of Public Administration in Dhaka.

 

After Bangladesh became an independent nation, Qader joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh in 1972, and the following year he attended a Foreign Service Training Course in Australia.

 

From 1974-1976, he was posted to the Soviet Union, followed by diplomatic assignments in Burma (1976-1981) and Pakistan (1981-1984).

 

He was director of the Foreign Secretary’s Office and director of the South East Asia Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka from 1984-1986. He also worked briefly in the personnel and finance directorates of the ministry.

 

Qader served as deputy chief of mission/ambassador at the embassy of Bangladesh in Brussels, Belgium, with concurrent accreditation to the European Commission, the Netherlands and Luxembourg (1990-1994), as well as counselor and later deputy chief of mission in the High Commission of Bangladesh in New Delhi, India.

 

He has also served as permanent representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and as director general of multilateral economic affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka from 1994 to 1996.

 

He was ambassador to Thailand , with concurrent accreditation to Cambodia from 1996 to April 1999, followed by high commissioner to South Africa, with concurrent accreditation as high commissioner to Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland and Lesotho until 2002.

 

Qader also represented the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the board of directors of the Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs, served as director of the board of the Bangladesh Overseas Employment Services Limited and was a member, from 2004 to 2009, of the Sub-Committee on International Affairs of the Bangladesh Awami League political party.

 

Qader and his wife, Rifat Sultana Akram, have two children.

 

Biography (The Washington Diplomat)