Bangladesh 2001
Yearbook 2001
Bangladesh. In April, fighting broke out at a disputed border area against the Indian state of Meghalaya. At least 16 Indian soldiers and three from Bangladesh were killed. The fighting was described as the most serious of its kind in 25 years.
The parliamentary election on October 1 was preceded by a violent election campaign that claimed around 140 people’s lives. Several blast attacks were targeted at elections, usually with candidates for the Awami government party.
22 people were killed and hundreds injured in an attack in the port city of Narayanganj in June. Following the attack in Narayanganj, the Bangladesh National Party (GDP) carried out a strike in protest against the party leader Khaleda Zia being attacked for revenge for the blast. GDP also called for a strike against the outgoing Parliament granting Prime Minister Hasina Wajed and her sister state protection for the rest of their lives. The two sisters claimed they were under constant threat since the Supreme Court ruled the death sentences of twelve former militants for the 1975 assassination of their father, Bangladesh’s first President Mujibur Rahman.
A politically neutral interim government led Bangladesh in the last three months leading up to the election. 55,000 soldiers and police officers were ordered out on Election Day, and according to international observers, the election took place in orderly form. The result was a surprising big victory for GDP, which, in collaboration with three smaller parties, of which two were radically Islamist, got 214 of Parliament’s 300 seats. Hasina Wajed protested against cheating and the Awami Party refused to take its seats in parliament. In the new government, Islamic Jamaati-Islami received two ministerial posts. In November, Parliament elected Foreign Minister Badruddoza Chowdhury as new president five years after Shahabuddin Ahmed.
- Abbreviationfinder: lists typical abbreviations and country overview of Bangladesh, including bordering countries, geography, history, politics, and economics.
October
Mass protest against France
October 27
Tens of thousands of people in Dhaka are taking part in a protest march against France since French President Emmanuel Macron defended the cartoons of Muhammad. Macron’s defense of the right to practice religion came after a French teacher was murdered (had his throat cut off) for showing the Muhammad cartoons to his students. Protesters in Dhaka set fire to a doll depicting Macron. The police disband the march before the crowd reaches the French embassy, which is the target of the demonstration. For many Muslims, the cartoons of Muhammad are an expression of blasphemy, while in France they have become a symbol of the secular state and freedom of speech.
The death penalty is introduced for rape
October 12
The government faces the death penalty for rape. It is happening after major popular protests erupted as a result of a series of serious abuses that shocked many Bangladeshis. Among other things, a film, which shows how a group of men attack a woman, has been circulating on social media. In another case, members of the ruling Awami Association’s youth union have been charged with gang rape. The government has been criticized from several quarters for passivity in the face of what happened. The protesters have demanded harsh punishments for rape, faster trials and an end to the impunity that perpetrators often enjoy. Previously, the maximum penalty for rape was life imprisonment.
September
Textile exports are increasing
2 September
A hope for some economic brightening can be discerned when the important textile industry notices an upswing in August due to an increase in exports of 50 percent. The textile industry is a mainstay of Bangladesh’s economy. The country’s textile exports shrank by 83 percent in April and just over 50 percent in May due to the corona pandemic.
Population 2001
According to Countryaah, the population of Bangladesh in 2001 was 139,035,394, ranking number 8 in the world. The population growth rate was 1.720% yearly, and the population density was 1068.1071 people per km2.
