BCS Written Bangladesh Affairs cheat sheet

The Constitution of Bangladesh was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 4 November 1972 and came into force on 16 December 1972.

It originally had 153 articles in 11 parts with a preamble; the original four fundamental principles were nationalism, socialism, democracy and secularism.

The Fifteenth Amendment (2011) restored secularism and the 1972 liberation-war spirit, and increased reserved seats for women in Parliament from 30 to 50.

Article 7 declares the Constitution supreme; Article 7A (added 1979, restored 2011) makes unconstitutional seizure of power a punishable offence.

Fundamental rights sit in Part III (Articles 26-47); Article 44 gives the right to move the High Court Division for enforcement under Article 102.

Article 27 guarantees equality before law; Article 28 prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.

The President is elected by members of Parliament under Article 48; the Prime Minister must be a member of Parliament commanding majority support.

Judicial review flows from Articles 102 and 7; the Appellate Division is the apex court, and the Supreme Court is the guardian of the Constitution.

Rule of law requires legality, equality before law, due process and independent adjudication; absence of arbitrary power is its core test.

The legislative, executive and judicial organs operate under separation of powers, but Bangladesh's parliamentary system fuses executive and legislature.

Key accountability bodies: Anti-Corruption Commission (2004), Comptroller and Auditor General (Article 127), and the Ombudsman provision (Article 77, not yet implemented).

The Administrative Tribunals Act 1980 governs service disputes; the Administrative Appellate Tribunal hears appeals from administrative tribunals.

Good governance indicators commonly used: accountability, transparency, participation, responsiveness, effectiveness, equity and rule of law.

The Right to Information Act 2009 gives citizens a legal right to public information; the Information Commission enforces compliance.

The Judicial Service Commission and the Supreme Judicial Council (Articles 96 and 116) handle judicial discipline and removal.

Delegated legislation must stay within the parent Act; ultra vires acts are void and reviewable by the High Court Division.

The Indian Independence Act 1947 created Pakistan; Bengal was partitioned, and East Bengal joined Pakistan as a province.

The Language Movement peaked on 21 February 1952 when students were killed in Dhaka; UNESCO declared the date International Mother Language Day in 1999.

The United Front won the 1954 East Bengal provincial election on a 21-point programme; the Awami League was founded on 23 June 1949.

Ayub Khan's Basic Democracies (1959) and the 1962 Constitution introduced indirect presidential elections; the 1969 mass upsurge forced Ayub out.

The Six Point Movement was launched in 1966 in Lahore; the Agartala Conspiracy Case (1968-69) accused Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and was withdrawn in 1969.

The 1970 general election gave Awami League 160 of 162 East Pakistan seats and an absolute majority in the 300-seat National Assembly.

The 7 March 1971 speech at the Racecourse Ground effectively called for non-cooperation and preparation for independence.

Post-1975 politics saw martial law under Ziaur Rahman (1975-81), the Bangladesh Nationalist Party founded in 1978, and Ershad's rule from 1982 to 1990.

Operation Searchlight began on the night of 25 March 1971; the Declaration of Independence was broadcast on 26 March 1971.

The Mujibnagar Government was formed on 17 April 1971 with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as President and Tajuddin Ahmad as Prime Minister.

The Bangladesh Armed Forces were formed with Sector 11 and the Bangladesh Army raised on 4 April 1971 at Teliapara under Colonel M.A.G. Osmani as Commander-in-Chief.

The war was fought in 11 sectors; the Mukti Bahini combined regular forces and guerrilla fighters; the Naval Commandos and Bangladesh Air Force also operated.

India recognised Bangladesh on 6 December 1971; the joint Indo-Bangladesh force defeated Pakistani forces and Dhaka fell on 16 December 1971.

The Instrument of Surrender was signed on 16 December 1971 by Lieutenant General A.A.K. Niazi to Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora.

The 1972 Simla Agreement between India and Pakistan formalised the post-war settlement and the return of prisoners of war.

National identity markers include the 1972 Constitution, Bangla as state language, the 21 February observance, and the 7 March and 26 March commemorations.

Nominal GDP of Bangladesh is roughly USD 450 billion, making it one of the largest economies in South Asia; per capita income crossed USD 2,700 in the early 2020s.

Garments account for over 80 percent of merchandise exports; Bangladesh is the second-largest apparel exporter after China.

Remittances from migrant workers exceed USD 20 billion annually and are a major source of foreign exchange and rural income.

The economy grew above 6 percent on average in the 2010s; the COVID-19 shock and inflation in the 2020s slowed growth.

Agriculture contributes around 11-12 percent of GDP but employs around 40 percent of the labour force.

The taka is managed under a crawling peg/float regime; the Bangladesh Bank is the central bank and manages monetary policy.

Key structural challenges: low tax-to-GDP ratio, export concentration, infrastructure gaps, and a narrow formal manufacturing base.

The National Board of Revenue administers taxes; VAT is the largest single revenue source.

The national budget is presented annually by the Finance Minister in June for the fiscal year running 1 July to 30 June.

Budget documents include the Annual Development Programme (ADP), which finances public investment projects.

The tax-to-GDP ratio is around 8-10 percent, among the lowest in the world; tax reform focuses on VAT and income tax coverage.

The government borrows through Treasury bills and bonds; the banking system and National Savings Certificates are major domestic sources.

The Eighth Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) targets employment, human capital and private investment; the Ninth Plan is under preparation.

Vision 2041 and the Perspective Plan 2021-2041 aim to make Bangladesh an upper-middle-income and then high-income country.

The Public Procurement Act 2006 and Rules 2008 govern government procurement and tender processes.

The Comptroller and Auditor General audits public accounts, and the Public Accounts Committee reviews audit reports.

The Ministry of Public Administration (MoPA) oversees the civil service, personnel policy and district administration.

The Civil Service (Cadre) Rules 1980 classify posts into general and technical cadres; the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) exam recruits them.

The Secretariat is organised into ministries and divisions; a division is headed by a Secretary, a ministry by a Minister.

Policies are framed by the Cabinet, implemented through ministries and field offices, and coordinated by the Cabinet Division.

The Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC) trains civil servants; the Public Service Commission conducts recruitment exams.

The Upazila Parishad is the main intermediate tier; the Deputy Commissioner heads district administration and is the district magistrate.

E-governance initiatives include the National Web Portal, e-filing, and the Digital Bangladesh agenda launched in 2009.

The Administrative Reforms Commission reports and the 2018 National Pay Scale shape pay and promotion structures.

Local government has three tiers: Union Parishad (rural grassroots), Upazila Parishad (sub-district), and Zila Parishad (district).

The Local Government (Union Parishad) Act 2009 governs Union Parishads; members are elected for five years, with reserved seats for women.

City corporations and municipalities are urban local bodies; Dhaka has two city corporations (North and South).

The Upazila Parishad Act 1998 (amended 2009) provides for a directly elected Upazila Chairman and reserved women's seats.

A Union Parishad consists of a directly elected Chairman and nine members from nine wards, plus three reserved women members.

The Local Government Division of the Ministry of LGRD and Cooperatives coordinates local bodies.

The civil service is governed by the Bangladesh Civil Service (Conduct) Rules 1979 and the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules 1985.

The Public Service Commission, established under Article 137, advises on recruitment and promotion of civil servants.

Article 25 of the Constitution sets the foreign policy basis: friendship with all nations, non-alignment, and opposition to imperialism and colonialism.

Bangladesh joined the United Nations in 1974 and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was founded in Dhaka in 1985.

Bangladesh is a member of the OIC, the Commonwealth, the Non-Aligned Movement, BIMSTEC, and the Indian Ocean Rim Association.

The 1974 India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement was implemented in 2015, exchanging enclaves and resolving the border.

The Rohingya crisis involves over a million refugees in Cox's Bazar; Bangladesh seeks safe, voluntary and dignified repatriation.

Maritime boundaries were settled with Myanmar (2012) and India (2014) through international arbitration and the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

Bangladesh contributes heavily to UN peacekeeping; it is among the top troop-contributing countries.

Key bilateral relationships: India (water sharing, connectivity), China (infrastructure, loans), and the Gulf states (labour migration).

Bangladesh's population is about 170 million, making it the eighth most populous country; population growth has slowed to under 1.5 percent annually.

The total fertility rate has fallen to near replacement level (about 2.0), and life expectancy is around 73 years.

Islam is the religion of about 91 percent of the population; Hindus form the largest minority at around 8 percent.

Bangla is the state language; the country has a rich tradition of folk music (Baul), Bengali literature, and the Pohela Boishakh new year.

Urbanisation is rapid; Dhaka is one of the world's largest and densest megacities, with significant internal migration.

Social change drivers include female education, microfinance, NGO activity (BRAC, Grameen Bank), and overseas migration.

Gender gaps have narrowed in education and health, but women's labour force participation remains around 35-40 percent.

Challenges include child marriage, income inequality, and the effects of climate displacement.

Bangladesh lies between 20°34' to 26°38' North and 88°01' to 92°41' East; the Tropic of Cancer crosses the middle of the country.

The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta forms the world's largest delta; the country has about 700 rivers and a coastline of about 710 km.

Major physiographic regions: Barind Tract, Madhupur Tract, Sundarbans, Chittagong Hill Tracts, and the coastal belt.

The Sundarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the largest mangrove forest and a natural shield against cyclones.

Bangladesh is among the most climate-vulnerable countries; sea-level rise, cyclones, floods, riverbank erosion and salinity intrusion are major hazards.

The Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (2009) and the Climate Change Trust Fund guide national adaptation.

The Standing Orders on Disaster (2010) define disaster management roles from national to union level; the Cyclone Preparedness Programme warns coastal communities.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Department of Environment enforce the Environment Conservation Act 1995.

The literacy rate is about 75 percent; primary education is free and compulsory under the Primary Education (Compulsory) Act 1990.

The National Education Policy 2010 sets a framework for primary, secondary, higher secondary and tertiary education.

The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education are the two main education ministries.

Health indicators improved sharply: infant mortality fell below 30 per 1,000 live births and maternal mortality fell to about 170 per 100,000.

The Directorate General of Health Services delivers public health services; community clinics provide grassroots primary care.

Bangladesh eliminated polio and has reduced tuberculosis and malaria incidence; COVID-19 vaccination was rolled out from 2021.

The Digital Bangladesh agenda (2009) expanded internet access, mobile financial services and IT-enabled services.

The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant represent the country's flagship science and technology project.

Rice is the staple crop; Bangladesh has achieved near self-sufficiency in food grain through the Green Revolution and irrigation.

Agriculture contributes about 11-12 percent of GDP; major crops include rice, jute, tea, potato, and pulses.

The garment industry is the industrial backbone, with export processing zones and the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority promoting investment.

Major infrastructure: Padma Bridge (opened 2022), Dhaka Metro Rail (2022), and the Chattogram-Cox's Bazar railway.

Electricity generation capacity exceeds 25,000 MW; the country relies on natural gas, imported LNG, coal and furnace oil.

The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant and the Payra and Matarbari power projects are major energy investments.

Renewable energy remains small, mainly solar home systems and solar irrigation pumps, but targets are rising.

Chattogram Port handles the bulk of trade; Mongla and Payra are secondary seaports.

The 2024 political transition followed mass protests; an interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took office in August 2024.

Key contemporary issues: inflation, foreign exchange reserves, banking sector stress, and reform of electoral and judicial institutions.

The Rohingya crisis, labour rights in the garment sector, and climate finance are recurring international agenda items.

Bangladesh graduated from the UN Least Developed Country category and is scheduled for full LDC graduation in 2026.

The 2026 national election is a central political milestone; electoral reform and voter list updates are ongoing.

Digital security, disinformation, and media freedom are active policy debates.

The government seeks balanced relations with India, China and the United States while pursuing regional connectivity.

Youth unemployment and skills development are priority concerns given the large working-age population.