[20210202]IF10214_孟加拉国.pdf

https:/crsreports.congress.gov Updated February 2, 2021BangladeshBangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) is a Muslim-majority nation in South Asia, bordering India and Burma on the Bay of Bengal. It is the worlds eighth most populous country, with approximately 165 million people living in a land area about the size of Iowa. It is a relatively poor nation suffering from high levels of corruption. In recent years, its democratic system has faced an array of serious challenges, including political violence, weak governance, poverty, demographic and environmental strains, and Islamist militancy. Bangladesh is a parliamentary democracy. The ruling Awami League (AL) and main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) dominate national politics. When in opposition, both parties have at times used demonstrations, labor strikes, and transport blockades, as well as the ballot box to regain control of government. AL Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has held office since 2009, won her third consecutive term in December 2018. The next parliamentary elections are due in 2023. BNP leader and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was convicted of graft and embezzlement in 2018 and imprisoned. She wa