Bangladesh is a country of Southeast Asia which came into existence only in 1971 after splitting from Pakistan, before it was known as East Pakistan.
It is one of the world's most densely populated countries, with its people crammed into a delta of rivers that empties into the Bay of Bengal with its capital as Dhaka. It is a low-lying country and is vulnerable to flooding and cyclones, and stands to be badly affected by any rises in sea levels. Poverty is deep and widespread, but Bangladesh has in recent years reduced population growth and improved health and education.
Key Timelines
1947 - British colonial rule over India ends. A largely Muslim state comprising East and West Pakistan is established, either side of India. The two provinces are separated from each other by more than 1,500 km of Indian territory.
1971 - Independence after a nine-month war, with India backing the Bengali nationalists against Pakistan.
1973 - First parliamentary elections give the Awami League a landslide victory.
1975 - A military coup sees founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members killed, putting an end to civilian rule.
1979 - Second parliamentary elections brings former army chief Ziaur Rahman's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to power.
1981 - Ziaur Rahman assassinated during abortive military coup.
1982 - General Ershad assumes power in army coup. He suspends the constitution and political parties.
1991 - The country returns to a parliamentary system of government.
2014-17 - Bangladesh faces a campaign of high-profile violence by Islamists against bloggers, atheists and secular intellectuals.
