Bangladesh

Bangladesh came into existence in 1971 when Bengali East Pakistan seceded from its union with West Pakistan. Although Bangladesh only emerged as an independent country in 1971, its history stretches back thousands of years and it has long been known as a crossroads of history and culture. Here you will find the world's longest sea beach, countless mosques, the largest mangrove forest in the world, interesting tribal villages and a wealth of elusive wild life. Above all else you'll encounter the friendliest people you've ever met. It's one of the poorest countries in the world and the citizens are painfully aware of it, though the economic growth is higher than some other Asian countries. The bloody separation from West Pakistan didn't get the economy off to a great start, and frequent floods, tornadoes and political troubles haven't helped to improve the situation. It's a tiny country yet has the 7th largest population making it one of the most (over) populated in the world. It relies heavily on foreign charity and investments. Ready-made garments, pharmaceuticals, and shrimp are some of the largest industries, though it seems to be only the top tier of society that are living a comfortable life. The gap between rich and poor is increasingly obvious, especially in cities such as Dhaka as you move around between the working class old city and affluent neighborhoods like Gulshan.

Climate

Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon climate. There are basically four seasons in a year — Winter (Dec-Feb), Summer (Mar-May), Monsoon (June-Sep) and Autumn (Oct-Nov). The average temperature across the country usually ranges between 9 C - 29 C in winter months and between 21 C - 34 C during summer months. Annual rainfall varies from 160 cm to 200 cm in the west, 200 cm to 400 cm in the south-east and 250 cm to 400 cm in the north-east. Cyclones above category three/four are uncommon (especially in the deep winter January through March)-- but while rare, can still bring widespread disruption as expected to infrastructure and power outages, especially in the coastal areas. The weather pattern is akin to the Gulf Coast in the United States (Mississippi and Louisiana). The current weather can be seen by hitting the 'play' button on the following interactive map, Current Bangladesh Satellite Weather Radar

Landscape

The country is primarily a low-lying plain of about 144,000 km2, situated on deltas of large rivers flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal. It’s fertile and mostly flat farmland and, with the exception of Chittagong Hill Tracts, rarely exceeds 10 meters above sea level, making it dangerously susceptible to a rise in sea level. Highest point: Bijoy (1,231 meters).

Holidays

Ramadan dates

• 2007 (1428): Sep 13 - Oct 11
• 2008 (1429): Sep 1 - Sep 29
• 2009 (1430): Aug 21 - Sep 19

The festival of Eid ul-Fitr is held after the end of Ramadan and may last several days. Exact dates depend on astronomical observations and may vary from country to country.

• Eid-ul-Fitr - the largest holiday of the year, it celebrates the end of the holy month of Ramazan. Food is the highlight, and if you're lucky you'll be invited into a private home for a feast. Businesses close for at least a couple days if not a week.

• Eid-ul-Azha - is celebrated by slaughtering a cow on the first morning of the festival and sharing the meat with family and the less fortunate. If you can handle the carnage, Dhaka is an incredible place to experience the festivities in full swing - take a walk through the old town, though roll up your pants if you don't want them soaked in blood. Despite this locals will be dressed in their finest whites. Taking photographs is generally very acceptable.

• Ekushey - National Mother Language Day - February 21. This day marks the anniversary of the martyrs that died in 1952 while protesting the imposition of Urdu as the mother toungue. The uprisings to support Bangla as the mother language fueled the movement towards secular nationalism that culminated in independence in 1971. The holiday is marked by tributes to the martyrs by political leaders and singing beginning at one minute after midnight on the 21st. Government offices are closed, and expect traffic disruption from February 20.

• Independence day - March 26th

• National Revolution and Solidarity Day - November 7th. This marks the large 1975 uprising, and is a good day to keep your head down as things can sometimes get a little raucous.

• Durga Puja - Usually in late October (Oct. 21 in 2007). Goes on for about ten days 's and festivities varying with each day. Christians and Hindus also celebrate their respective holidays in their churches and temples.

Bangladeshis will be the first to warn you against the bad seeds in their country at every chance. "Why are you staying at that hotel?!" "Watch your bags!" "Don't take candy from strangers!". While there's no doubt that you can encounter bad natured people you're surrounded by many more that are looking out for you at every turn, and you'll likely find yourself wondering what the fuss is all about in the first place. That said, stick to common sense precautions like not walking around unnecessarily after dark, and if you do find yourself in trouble, create some noise and draw the attention of others who are almost certain to come to your aid. Nationwide strikes or “hartals” are widely employed as a means of political expression in Bangladesh. The political opposition over the past several years has called a number of these hartals, resulting in the virtual shutdown of transportation and commerce, and sometimes attacks on individuals who do not observe the hartals. Clashes between rival political groups during hartals have resulted in deaths and injuries. Visitors should avoid all political protests, demonstrations, and marches. During hartals, visitors should exercise caution in all areas and remain indoors whenever possible. Hartals, demonstrations, and other protests can occur at ANY time. It's best to not eat, drink or smoke anything offered to you by strangers – there's a growing problem in many Asian countries of druggings, and you're likely to see signs warning you against it on buses, trains, etc. That's not to say you shouldn't take someone up on their offer for a home cooked meal, but you may want to think twice about that piece of candy the person in the seat next to you just handed you.

• Bottled water is recommended, as the tap water is often unsafe for foreign stomachs, and some hand-drawn tube wells are contaminated with naturally occurring arsenic. This will easily pass through filters designed only to screen out bacteria. A more environmentally friendly option is to boil your own water, or use purifying tablets. However, nothing short of distillation will remove arsenic.

• It's also wise to use discretion when eating from street vendors - make sure it's freshly cooked and hot.

• Mosquitoes can be abundant in some areas and cities, and nets are often provided, even in some of the cheapest hotels.

• Consult your travel doctor about precautions against malaria and typhoid fever.

• Pollution can be a problem, and in some of the cities like Dhaka and Chittagong you may wish you'd brought along an oxygen tank. While some effort has been shown recently to clean up the country such as the banning of plastic bags, there's still a long way to go and most people use the many waterways as garbage dumps - it would be unwise to swim in most of the rivers and downright senseless in a lake.