Present scenario of Bangladesh

Bangladesh (Bengali: ) officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh (Bengali: ), is a country in South Asia, located on the fertile Bengal delta. It is bordered by the Republic of India to its north, west and east, by the Union of Myanmar (Burma) to its south-east and by the Bay of Bengal to its south. The name Bangladesh means Country of Bengal" in the official Bengali language. Bangladesh is identified as a Next Eleven economy. According to the United Nations in 2010, the country is making major strides in human development, including significant progress in the areas of gender equity, universal primary education, and the empowerment of women, reducing population growth, food production, health and renewable energy. Remnants of civilization in the greater Bengal region date back four thousand years to when the region was settled by ancient Dravidian, Indo-Aryan, Tibeto-Burman and Austroasiatic peoples. The exact origin of the word "Bangla" or "Bengal" is unclear, though it is believed to be derived from Bang/Vanga, the Dravidian-speaking tribe that settled in the area around the year 1000 BCE. The region was known to the ancient Greek and Roman world as Gangaridai, or "Nation of Ganges". The early history of Bengal featured the rise of numerous city states, or janapadas, including Vanga, Samatata and Pundravardhana. Islam was introduced to the Bengal region during the 7th century by Arab Muslim traders and Sufi missionaries, and the subsequent Muslim conquest of Bengal in the 12th century lead to the rooting of Islam across the region. Bakhtiar Khilji, a Turkic general, defeated Lakshman Sen of the Sena dynasty and conquered large parts of Bengal in the year 1204.

Bangladesh is divided into seven administrative divisions, each named after their respective divisional headquarters: Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Rangpur. Dhaka is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. The cities with a city corporation, having mayoral elections, include Dhaka South, Dhaka North, Chittagong, Khulna, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Barisal, Rangpur, Comilla and Gazipur. Other major cities, these and other municipalities electing a chairperson, include Mymensingh, Gopalganj, Jessore, Bogra, Dinajpur, Saidapur, Narayanganj and Rangamati.

Socio-Economic Profile of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a developing nation. However, the poverty rate has declined by 25% since 1990, and per-capita GDP has doubled from 1975 levels. Its per capita income as of 2013 is US$1,044 compared to the world average of $8,985. In December 2005, the Central Bank of Bangladesh projected GDP growth around 6.5%. One significant contributor to the development of the economy has been the widespread propagation of microcredit by Muhammad Yunus (awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006) through the Grameen Bank. By the late 1990s, Grameen Bank had 2.3 million members, along with 2.5 million members of other similar organisations.

Bangladesh government is planning for construction of the largest deep sea port in South Asia at Sonadia Island. The 500 billion taka project will be completed in multiple phases and enable Bangladesh to service the whole region as a maritime transport and logistics hub. India, China, Bhutan, Nepal and other neighbouring countries will be able to take full advantage of the strategic location and the privileges given to Bangladesh because of its least developed country status, for exporting goods that are manufactured in Bangladesh. Agriculture: According to FAOSTAT, Bangladesh is one of world's largest producers of: fisheries(5th), rice (4th), potato (11th), mango (9th), pineapple (16th), tropical Fruit (5th), onion (16th), banana (17th), jute (2nd), tea (11th).

Jute was once the economic engine of the country. Its share of the world export market peaked in the Second World War and the late 1940s at 80% and even in the early 1970s accounted for 70%

Socio-Economic Profile of Bangladesh

of its export earnings. Bangladesh grows very significant quantities of rice, tea, potato, mango, onion and mustard. Manufacturing More than three-quarters of Bangladeshs export earnings come from the garment industry in 2005. The industry began attracting foreign investors in the 1980s because of cheap labor and low conversion cost. In 201112 fiscal years the industry exported US$18 billion worth of products where in 2002 the exported amount was US$5 billion

A Bangladeshi garments factory Furthermore, they have already started taking orders and executing them perfectly for foreign companies from Germany, Denmark and other European countries who prefer the cheap market of Bangladesh over their local market. The Khulna Shipyard have successfully completed building a Khulna Class LPC(Large Patrol Craft) and a LCVP(Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel) for the Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Army respectively, the cost being almost half of their import price. Services The tourism sector in Bangladesh has experienced massive growth in recent years. The majority of growth is contributed by local tourists. It is believed to be a major tourist destination if properly advertised. Nonetheless, few government and private initiatives have been taken to attract foreign tourists. .

Biman Bangladesh Airlines, the national airline.

Socio-Economic Profile of Bangladesh

There are several exotic archaeological sites in the northern parts of Bangladesh, including the temple city Puthia in Rajshahi; the largest and most ancient archaeological site, Mahasthangarh in Bogra; Among the best known Buddhist viharas in the Indian Subcontinent and one of the most important archaeological sites in the country, Paharpur in Naogaon, declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985; Kantaji Temple, the most ornamental terracota Hindu temple in Bangladesh and many rajbaris or palaces of old zamindars.

Two export oriented industries of Bangladesh

I)

Pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh

The pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh is one of the most developed hi-tech sectors within the country's economy. In 2000, there were 210 licensed allopathic drug-manufacturing units in the country, out of which only 173 were in active production; others were either closed down on their own or suspended by the licensing authority for drugs due to non compliance to good manufacturing practices or drug laws. The industry manufactured about 5,600 brands of medicines in different dosage forms. There were, however, 1,495 wholesale drug license holders and about 37,700 retail drug license holders in Bangladesh. After the promulgation of Drug Control Ordinance - 1982, the development of this sector was accelerated. The professional knowledge, thoughts and innovative ideas of the pharmaceutical professionals working in this sector are the key factors for these developments. Recently, a few new industries have been established with high tech equipment and professionals to enhance the strength of this sector. Top pharmaceutical companies in Bangladesh: 1. Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd. 2. Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd. 3. Beximco Pharma ltd. 4. Opsonin Pharma Ltd. 5. ESkayef Bangladesh Ltd. 6. Renata Limited (Pharmaceuticals) 7. Ibn Sina 8. Acme Laboratories Ltd 9. ACI Ltd. (Pharmaceuticals) 10. Aristopharma Ltd. 11. Drug International Ltd. 12. Sanofi Aventis 13. Glaxosmithkline
Socio-Economic Profile of Bangladesh 4

14. Orion pharma bangladesh 15. Novo Nordisk 16. Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Ltd 17. Kemiko Pharmaceuticals Ltd. 18. General Pharmaceuticals Ltd. 19. Popular Pharmaceutical Ltd. 20. Novartis 21. Sandoz 22. Bio Pharma 23. Zenith Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Nowadays, Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Industry is successfully exporting Active Pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and a wide range of pharmaceutical products covering all major therapeutic classes and dosage forms to 79 countries. Beside regular forms like; Tablets, Capsules & Syrups, Bangladesh is also exporting high-tech specialized products like HFA Inhalers, CFC Inhalers, Suppositories, Nasal Sprays, Injectables, IV Infusions, etc. are also being exported from Bangladesh. II) Bangladesh textile industry

The textile and clothing (T&C) industries provide the single source of economic growth in Bangladesh's rapidly developing economy. Exports of textiles and garments are the principal source of foreign exchange earnings. Agriculture for domestic consumption is Bangladeshs largest employment sector. By 2002 exports of textiles, clothing, and ready-made garments (RMG) accounted for 77% of Bangladeshs total merchandise exports. By 2013, about 4 million people, mostly women, worked in Bangladesh's $19 billion-a-year industry, export-oriented ready-made garment (RMG) industry. Bangladesh is second only to China, the world's secondlargest apparel exporter of western brands. export market USA (textile) USA (clothing) EU (textile) EU (clothing) 4% 2% <3% 3% 3% 4%

market share in 1995 <3% market share in 2004 3%

Bangladesh's textile industry has been part of the trade versus aid debateBangladesh with a population of about 156 million, has the highest population density in the world. In 2012 the textile industry accounted for 45% of all industrial employment in the country yet only contributed 5% of the Bangladesh's total national income. GDP The garment industry accounts for 76% of the country's export earnings and 10% of its GDP.
Socio-Economic Profile of Bangladesh 5

Two companies from export oriented industry

I)

Li & Fung Ltd in the Bangladesh RMG sector:

Bangladesh is second only to China in the supply chain of billionaire brothers Victor and William Fung's global sourcing giant Li & Fung Ltd, a Hong Kong-based company. Bangladesh has been part of the producing network of Li & Fung Ltd since 1995, following Li & Fung Ltd's acquisition and subsequent expansion of an established British trading company, Inchcape Buying Services.Li & Fung supplies dozens of major retailers, including Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., branded as Walmart. Major Western brands and retailers met in Germany in April for talks regarding Bangladesh building and fire safety setting a May 15, 2013 deadline for a joint agreement. By May 14, 2013 European companies which Europe account for about 60 percent of Bangladesh's clothing exports: United Colors of Benetton, Britain's Marks & Spencer, Sweden's H & M Hennes, Mauritz AB, Inditex SA, and one American company, PVH, which owns brands including Calvin Klein, had endorsed an accord. but Wal-Mart Stores Inc and other companies affiliated with Li & Fung did not sign the endorsement. Following the April 2013 tragedy, Walmart's Rajan Kamalanathan, vice president of ethical sourcing for Walmart spoke with the press. Walmart hired "Bureau Veritas to inspect factories for structural, fire and electrical safety, including checking building designs and permits as part of an expanded inspection process" and is pressuring Bangladesh to close factories. Bruce Rockowitz, Li & Fung's group president and chief executive spoke to Li & Fung's group shareholders in Hong Kong on May 13, 2013 arguing Li & Fung Ltd should stay in Bangladesh, and "invest more and try to make safety better and work with the government on doing a better job on monitoring buildings.' In January 2010 Li & Fung (Trading) Limited formed a new subsidiary company called WSG group, a dedicated sourcing stream servicing Wal-Mart globally, selling up to $2 billion worth of goods including WSG, home furnishings, apparel and other items, during the first year of the partnership. Li & Fung President Bruce Rockowitz, explained that direct sourcing is a huge, volume-driven, lower-margin business resulting in the lowest prices which is an advantage to Walmart. Li & Fung Ltd, a Hong Kong-based company, funnels clothes, toys and sporting goods to brand-name retailers including Kohl's, Target, Marks and Spencer and Talbots. Since 2006 Li & Fung control extended deeper into the supply chain to include logistics, production and product design effectively replacing and consolidated the role of middlemen.

Socio-Economic Profile of Bangladesh

II)

Square Pharmaceuticals

The company was founded in 1958 by Samson H. Chowdhury along with three of his friends as a private firm. It went public in 1991 and is currently listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange. Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd., the flagship company, is holding the strong leadership position in the pharmaceutical industry of Bangladesh since 1985 and it has been continuously in the 1st position among all national and multinational companies since 1985. Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is now on its way to becoming a high performance global player.

Socio-Economic Profile of Bangladesh

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Industry is successfully exporting Active Pharmaceutical ingredients(APIs) and a wide range of pharmaceutical products covering all major therapeutic classes and dosage forms to 79 countries. Beside regular forms like; Tablets, Capsules & Syrups, Bangladesh is also exporting high-tech specialized products like HFA Inhalers, CFC Inhalers, Suppositories, Nasal Sprays, Injectables, IV Infusions, etc. are also being exported from Bangladesh, and have been well accepted by the Medical Practitioners, Chemists, Patients and the Regulatory Bodies of all the importing nations. The packaging and the presentation of the products of Bangladesh are comparable to any international standard and have been accepted by them.

Two NGO of Bangladesh

I)

BRAC (NGO)

BRAC, an international development organization based in Bangladesh, is the largest non-governmental development organization in the world, measured by the number of employees and the number of people it has helped, as of November 2012. Established by Sir Fazle Hasan Abed in 1972 soon after the independence of Bangladesh, BRAC is present in all 64 districts of Bangladesh as well as in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Haiti and The Philippines as of 2012. BRAC employs over 100,000 people, roughly 70 percent of whom are women, reaching more than 126 million people. The organization is 70-80% self-funded through a number of commercial enterprises that include a dairy and food project and a chain of retail handicraft stores called Aarong. BRAC maintains offices in 14 countries throughout the world, including BRAC USA and BRAC UK.
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BRAC has organized the isolated poor and learned to understand their needs by finding practical ways to increase their access to resources, support their entrepreneurship and empower them to become agents of change. Women and girls have been the focus of BRACs anti-poverty approach; BRAC recognizes both their vulnerabilities and thirst for change.

Development Management (CDM) in Rajendrapur. Its Social Development, Human Rights and Legal Services programme was launched in 1996 with the aim to empower women with legal rights and assist them in becoming involved with community and ward level organizations. BRAC established a university called BRAC University with the aim to create future leaders and the BRAC Bank was started to cater primarily to small and medium entreprises. In 2002 BRAC launched a programme called Challenging the Frontiers of Poverty Reduction Targeting the Ultra Poor (CFPR-TUP) designed specifically for those that BRAC defines as the ultra poor - the extreme poor who cannot access conventional microfinance. The same year BRAC also went into Afghanistan with relief and rehabilitation programmes. It was the first organization in Bangladesh to establish, in 2004, the office of an Ombudsperson.

Main objectives of BRAC (NGO)

1. Economic development BRACs Economic Development programme includes microcredit. It provides collateral-free credit using a solidarity lending methodology, as well as obligatory savings schemes through its Village Organisations. Reaching nearly 4 million borrowers, Village Organizations provide loans to poverty groups. BRAC has reached out to those who, due to extreme poverty, cannot access microfinance. BRAC defines such people suffering from extreme poverty as the 'ultra poor', and has designed a programme customized for this group that combines subsidy with enterprise development training, healthcare, social development and asset transfer, eventually pulling the ultra poor into its mainstream microfinance programme. 2. Public health BRAC started providing public healthcare in 1972 with an initial focus on curative care through paramedics and a self-financing health insurance scheme. As of December 2007, 70,000 community health volunteers and 18,000 health workers have been trained and mobilized by BRAC to deliver door-to-door health care services to the rural poor. It has established 37 static health centres and a Limb and Brace Fitting Centre that provides low cost devices and services for the physically disabled.

Socio-Economic Profile of Bangladesh

3. Social development In 1996, BRAC started a programme in collaboration with the Ain O Shalish Kendra (ASK) and Bangladesh National Women Leaders Association (BNWLA) to empower women to protect themselves from social discrimination and exploitation of which dowry, rape, acid throwing, polygamy, domestic violence and oral divorce are common in rural Bangladeshi communities and to encourage and assist them to take action when their rights are infringed. The Social Development component focuses on building human and socio-political assets of the poor especially women through institution building, awareness raising, training and collective social mobilizationThe Human Rights and Legal Services component seeks to empower the poor by increasing their awareness of their rights (legal, human and social) and entitlements through participation in activities like the Popular Theatre and through Human Rights and Legal Education (HRLE) classes arranged by BRAC for its Village Organisation members. 4. Disaster relief BRAC conducted one of the largest NGO responses to Cyclone Sidr which hit vast areas of the south-western coast in Bangladesh in mid-November 2007. BRAC distributed emergency relief materials, including food and clothing, to over 900,000 survivors, provided medical care to over 60,000 victims and secured safe supplies of drinking water. BRAC is now focusing on long-term rehabilitation, which will include agriculture support, infrastructure reconstruction and livelihood regeneration. 5. ICT development Established in 1996 as BRACs IT/ISP wing, BRACNet Limited is Bangladeshs one-stop ICT (Information and Communication Technology) solution provider. BRACNet Limited later formed a Joint Venture Company with US investors gNet/DEFTA Partners in 2005 and KDDI Corporation the second largest cellular operator and Wireless ISP in Japan in 2009. BRACNet is committed to establish such interconnected e-huts all over Bangladesh using its fixed WiMAX and optical fibre network. More than 70 e-huts are operating in rural Bangladesh. Services provided by e-hut include internet browsing, broadband connectivity, basic computer and IT training, web cam and digital camera service, computer compose and printing, computer servicing, graphics designing, and photocopying amenities to the rural community.

Socio-Economic Profile of Bangladesh

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Economic contribution

Conclusion

Socio-Economic Profile of Bangladesh

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