leum products,
cement

Imports - partners: India 12.2%, Singapore 7.8%, Japan 6.7%, China
6.4%, US 5.3% (1999)

Debt - external: $17 billion (2000)

Economic aid - recipient: $1.575 billion (2000 est.)

Currency: taka (BDT)

Currency code: BDT

Exchange rates: taka per US dollar - 54.000 (January 2001), 52.142
(2000), 49.085 (1999), 46.906 (1998), 43.892 (1997), 41.794 (1996)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Bangladesh Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 500,000 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 283,000 (2000)

Telephone system: general assessment: totally inadequate for a
modern country

domestic: modernizing; introducing digital systems; trunk systems
include VHF and UHF microwave radio relay links, and some
fiber-optic cable in cities

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian
Ocean); international radiotelephone communications and landline
service to neighboring countries (2000)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 12, FM 12, shortwave 2 (1999)

Radios: 6.15 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 15 (1999)

Televisions: 770,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .bd

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 10 (2000)

Internet users: 30,000 (2000)

Bangladesh Transportation

Railways: total: 2,745 km

broad gauge: 923 km 1.676-m gauge

narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2000)

Highways: total: 201,182 km

paved: 19,112 km

unpaved: 182,070 km (1997)

Waterways: up to 8,046 km depending on season

note: includes 3,058 km main cargo routes

Pipelines: natural gas 1,250 km

Ports and harbors: Chittagong, Dhaka, Mongla Port, Narayanganj (2001)

Merchant marine: total: 35 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
268,566 GRT/375,110 DWT

ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 25, container 3, petroleum tanker 2,
refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 2 (2000 est.)

Airports: 18 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 15

over 3,047 m: 2

2,438 to 3,047 m: 3

1,524 to 2,437 m: 4

914 to 1,523 m: 1

under 914 m: 5 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)

Bangladesh Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, paramilitary
forces (includes Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Ansars, Village
Defense Parties, National Cadet Corps), Armed Police battalions

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 36,005,553 (2