BANGLADESH, a republic in South Asia. Between 1947 and 1971, when it gained its independence, Bangladesh formed the eastern part of Pakistan and was called East Pakistan. Before the partition of India into independent India and Pakistan in 1947, they are that now forms Bangladesh ("the land of Bengal') had been the eastern part of the Bengal province of the British Empire.
Bangladesh, a land of rivers, lies in the easternmost part of the indian subcontinent. It is almost entirely surrounded by India, a condition that affects the foreign policy and economy of Bangladesh.
One of the most populous countries in the world, Bangladesh has about 100 million people living in an area slightly larger than the state of New York. Its population density, one of the highest in the world, ranges from an average of 2,0000 persons per square mile (800 per sq km); The population is expected to double by the end of the 20th century.
Most of the people live in rural areas. Only about 24% live in urban centers, the most important of which are Dacca, the capital of the new country, in central Bangladesh, and Chittagong, a major port city on the southeast coast.
Bangladesh has only a amall agricultural surplus and limited manufacture with which to trade. Therefore commerce is insufficient to create the amount of capital needed to invest in power plants, in improvements in the transportation system, and in developing the other necessities of an industrial society.
Being primarily Muslim, the Bengalis of Bangladesh are separated by religion from the largely Hindu Bengalis of the Indian state of West Bengal. All of the Bengalis, however share a common cultural heritage apart from religion, and all speak the same Bengali language, which has a rich literary tradition that is a thousand years old.
The country is a parliamentary democracy, secular in its intent, in contrast with the previous government of Pakistan, which has been characterized as a theocracy. The first government was formed by the AwamiLeague, the party that played a primary role in the struggle for independence. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, leader of the party, became the first prime minister.

(Source: Encyclopedia Americana' 97- Bangladesh )