31 Facts About Bangladesh Most People Get Wrong

Bangladesh is the most densely populated large country in the world, with around 170 million people in an area smaller than the US state of Iowa.

The Bengal tiger, the country's national animal, is endangered and survives in the wild mainly in the Sundarbans.

Bangladesh is the world's largest exporter of jute, the natural 'golden fibre' once central to its economy.

Dhaka is one of the most densely populated megacities on Earth, home to more than 20 million people in its greater metropolitan area.

Most of Bangladesh sits on the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta, the largest river delta in the world.

Cox's Bazar on the Bay of Bengal is one of the world's longest natural sea beaches, running almost unbroken for about 120 km.

UNESCO's International Mother Language Day on 21 February commemorates the 1952 Bengali Language Movement, when students in Dhaka were killed defending the right to speak Bengali.

Bangladesh won its independence in 1971 after a nine-month Liberation War, becoming a separate nation from Pakistan.

Rabindranath Tagore wrote the national anthems of both Bangladesh ('Amar Shonar Bangla') and India ('Jana Gana Mana'), the only person to author two countries' anthems.

Bangladesh is the world's second-largest exporter of ready-made garments after China, and the industry employs millions of workers, most of them women.

The Sundarbans, shared with India, is the world's largest mangrove forest and the only mangrove habitat of the Royal Bengal tiger.

The hilsa, or ilish, is the national fish and a cultural icon, featured in Bengali cuisine, poetry and festivals.

Chittagong is home to one of the world's largest ship-breaking industries, where a major share of the planet's retired ships are dismantled.

Bangladesh has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Sundarbans, the Mosque City of Bagerhat, and the Buddhist ruins of Paharpur.

Somapura Mahavihara at Paharpur was one of the largest Buddhist monasteries south of the Himalayas, dating to the 8th century.

The fine Dhaka muslin of the Mughal era was so sheer it was nicknamed 'woven air'; the craft was lost during the colonial period and is only now being revived.

Roughly two-thirds of Bangladesh is low-lying floodplain, making it one of the most flood-prone and climate-vulnerable countries on Earth.

Economist Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank pioneered modern microcredit in Bangladesh, sharing the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize.

Bengali is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, with well over 230 million native speakers.

Saint Martin's Island in the Bay of Bengal is the only coral island in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is located in South Asia, Asia, with its capital city in Dhaka.

The population of Bangladesh is approximately 170M, spread across 147,570 km² of territory.

Bangladesh has a population density of 1,152/km²: one of the most sparsely populated countries on Earth.

Bangladesh has a coastline of 580 km, giving it access to maritime trade, fishing and coastal tourism.

Bangladesh shares land borders with 2 countries: India, Myanmar.

The official language of Bangladesh is Bengali.

Bangladesh uses the Taka (BDT) as its official currency.

Bangladesh gained independence in 1971, establishing itself as a sovereign nation in South Asia.

The total GDP of Bangladesh is $460B, with a GDP per capita of $2,700, classifying it as a developing economy.

Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon, hot and humid climate, with the best time to visit being November–February.

Bangladesh is considered a Budget destination for travellers, with meals averaging $1–4.

🐅 Sundarbans

The world's largest mangrove forest, shared with India, home to the Bengal tiger

🏖️ Cox's Bazar

The world's longest natural sea beach stretching 120km along the Bay of Bengal

🕌 Shat Gombuj Mosque

A UNESCO mosque with 60 domes built by a Mughal general in the 15th century

🏰 Ahsan Manzil

The Pink Palace of Dhaka, former residence of the Nawabs of Bengal on the Buriganga river