ve-year terms
elections: last held 1 October 2001 (next to be held before October
2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - BNP and alliance
partners 47%, AL 40%; seats by party - BNP 195, AL 58, JI 17, JP
(Ershad faction) 14, IOJ 3, JP (Naziur) 4, other 9; note - the
election of October 2001 brought a majority BNP government aligned
with three other smaller parties - Jamaat-i-Islami, Islami Oikya
Jote, and Jatiya Party (Manzur)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (the chief justices and other judges are appointed by
the president)

Political parties and leaders:
Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]; Bangladesh Communist Party or
BCP [Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK]; Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP
[Khaleda ZIA, chairperson]; Islami Oikya Jote or IOJ [Mufti Fazlul
Haq AMINI]; Jamaat-e-Islami or JI [Motiur Rahman NIZAMI]; Jatiya
Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD]; Jatiya Party
(Manzur faction) [Naziur Rahman MANZUR]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
AsDB, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory),
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB,
OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Syed Hasan AHMAD
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 244-5366
telephone: [1] (202) 244-0183
chancery: 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Harry K. THOMAS, Jr.
embassy: Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212
mailing address: G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000
telephone: [880] (2) 885-5500
FAX: [880] (2) 882-3744

Flag description:
green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side of center;
the red sun of freedom represents the blood shed to achieve
independence; the green field symbolizes the lush countryside, and
secondarily, the traditional color of Islam

Economy Bangladesh

Economy - overview:
Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve
economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains a poor,
overpopulated, and ill-governed nation. Although half of GDP is
genera