PEOPLE
The area that is now Bangladesh has a rich historical and cultural past, combining Dravidian, Indo-Aryan, Mongol/Mughul, Arab, Persian, Turkic, and west European cultures. Residents of Bangladesh, about 98% of whom are ethnic Bengali and speak Bangla, are called Bangladeshis. Urdu-speaking, non-Bengali Muslims of Indian origin, and various tribal groups, mostly in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, comprise the remainder. Most Bangladeshis (about 88.3%) are Muslims, but Hindus constitute a sizable (10.5%) minority. There also are a small number of Buddhists, Christians, and animists. English is spoken in urban areas and among the educated.
Sufi religious
teachers succeeded in converting many Bengalis to Islam, even
before the arrival of Muslim armies from the west. About 1200
AD, Muslim invaders established political control over the Bengal
region. This political control also encouraged conversion to Islam.
Since then, Islam has played a crucial role in the region's history
and politics, with a Muslim majority emerging, particularly in
the eastern region of Bengal.
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Bangladeshi(s).
Population (July 2007 CIA est.): 150 million.
Annual growth rate (July 2007 CIA est.): 2.06%.
Ethnic groups: Bengali 98%, tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims.
Religions: Muslim 88.3%; Hindu 10.5%; Christian 0.3%, Buddhist 0.6%, others 0.3%.
Languages: Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English.
Education: Attendance-- 61%. Literacy (2008 UNDP Report)--47.5%.
Health: Infant mortality rate (below 1)--65/1,000. Life expectancy--61 years (male), 62 years (female).
Work force (60.3 million): Agriculture--62.3%; manufacturing and mining--7.6%; others--30.1%.
