The Human Truth Foundation

Bangladesh (People's Republic of Bangladesh)

http://www.humantruth.info/bangladesh.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

#bangladesh #blasphemy #morocco #murder #netherlands

Bangladesh
People's Republic of Bangladesh
StatusIndependent State
Social and Moral Index126th best
CapitalDhaka
Land Area 130 170km21
LocationAsia
Population161.4m2
Life Expectancy72.38yrs (2017)3
GNI$5 472 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 CodesBD, BGD, 505
Internet Domain.bd6
CurrencyTaka (BDT)7
Telephone+8808

1. Overview

#bangladesh #hinduism #islam #pakistan

Muslim conversions and settlement in the region now referred to as Bangladesh began in the 10th century, primarily from Arab and Persian traders and preachers. Europeans began to set up trading posts in the area in the 16th century. Eventually the area known as Bengal, primarily Hindu in the western section and mostly Muslim in the Muslim-majority area, which became East Pakistan. Calls for greater autonomy and animosity between the eastern and western wings of Pakistan led to a Bengali independence movement. That movement, led by the Awami League (AL) and supported by India, won independence for Bangladesh in 1971, although at least 300,000 civilians died in the process. The post-independence, AL government faced daunting challenges and in 1975 was overthrown by the military, triggering a series of military coups that resulted in a military-backed government and subsequent creation of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). That government also ended in a coup in 1981, followed by military-backed rule until democratic elections in 1991. The BNP and AL have alternately held power since then, with the exception of a military-backed, emergency caretaker regime that suspended parliamentary elections planned for January 2007 in an effort to reform the political system and root out corruption. That government returned the country to fully democratic rule in December 2008 with the election of the AL and Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA. With the help of international development assistance, Bangladesh has made great progress in food security since independence, and the economy has grown at an average of about 6 percent over the last two decades.

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)9

Book CoverGorgeously green yet swamped with people, Bangladesh is a rural wonderland laden with waterways, peppered with villages and bursting with humanity. Bangladeshis are famously friendly, and you are almost certain to receive a warm welcome everywhere you go. The tourism industry is in its infancy and foreign visitors are still an unusual sight outside Dhaka. ... More than 700 rivers flow through this small country and the result is a deliciously lush landscape with more shades of green than you ever imagined. There are almost as many kilometres of rivers in Bangladesh as there are roads, and travelling by boat is a way of life here. This provides a fabulous opportunity to see the country from a more unusual angle. Even if you´re going nowhere in particular, travelling by boat is one of the most rewarding things you can do during your visit. Bangladesh isn´t a tick-the-sights-off-the-list type of country, so slow down, relax and discover new ideas and ways of life.

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)10

2. Bangladesh National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
Value11
1Switzerland0.962
2Norway0.961
3Iceland0.959
4Hong Kong0.952
5Australia0.951
...
126Nicaragua0.667
127Bhutan0.666
128Cape Verde0.662
129Bangladesh0.661
130Tuvalu0.641
131Marshall Islands0.639
Asia Avg0.75
World Avg0.72
q=191.
Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
PPP $11
1Liechtenstein$146 830
2Singapore$90 919
3Qatar$87 134
4Luxembourg$84 649
5Ireland$76 169
...
131Cape Verde$6 230
132Ghana$5 745
133Nicaragua$5 625
134Bangladesh$5 472
135Angola$5 466
136Samoa$5 308
Asia Avg$22 215
World Avg$20 136
q=193.
Social & Moral
Development Index
12,13
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank12,13
1Taiwan28.6
2Norway29.4
3Denmark31.2
4Sweden32.2
5Finland32.6
...
123Burkina Faso97.4
124Suriname98.6
125Iran98.9
126Bangladesh98.9
127Honduras99.1
128Venezuela99.3
Asia Avg87.1
World Avg86.1
q=195.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Bangladesh's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population

Population:

Bangladesh's population is predicted to rise to 181.86 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 2.16. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

Population (2018)2
Pos.
Population2
1China1.4b
2India1.4b
3USA327.1m
4Indonesia267.7m
5Pakistan212.2m
6Brazil209.5m
7Nigeria195.9m
8Bangladesh161.4m
9Russia145.7m
10Japan127.2m
11Mexico126.2m
12Ethiopia109.2m
World Avg39.0m
q=195.
Life Expectancy (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
4Australia84.5
5Switzerland84.0
...
88Dominican Rep.72.6
89Oman72.5
90Belarus72.4
91Bangladesh72.4
92Peru72.4
93Syria72.1
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Fertility Rate (2013)14
Pos.2.0 is best14
1N. Korea2.00
2Brunei1.99
3St Vincent & Grenadines2.01
4France1.99
5Turkey2.04
...
21New Zealand2.15
22Azerbaijan2.16
23Chile1.84
24Bangladesh2.16
25Belgium1.83
26Algeria2.17
World Avg2.81
q=180.
Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)15
Pos.Lower is better
Per 10015
1Uganda04.3
2Mali04.5
3Chad04.7
4Burkina Faso04.7
5Sierra Leone04.8
...
72Egypt10.5
73Libya10.5
74S. Africa10.5
75Bangladesh10.6
76Nepal10.8
77Bhutan10.8
World Avg18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants (2017)16
Pos.
%16
1UAE88.4%
2Kuwait75.5%
3Qatar65.2%
4Liechtenstein65.1%
5Monaco54.9%
...
157Mexico0.9%
158Timor-Leste (E. Timor)0.9%
159Zambia0.9%
160Bangladesh0.9%
161Tanzania0.9%
162Mozambique0.8%
World Avg9.4%
q=195.
Emigrants (2010)17
Pos.
%17
1Dominica104.8%
2Palestine68.4%
3Samoa67.3%
4Grenada65.5%
5St Kitts & Nevis61.1%
...
136Sweden3.4%
137Ghana3.4%
138Nepal3.3%
139Bangladesh3.3%
140Botswana3.2%
141Spain3.0%
World Avg11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#Bangladesh #equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)18,19
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank18,19
1Sweden9.2
2Norway14.7
3Denmark14.7
4Netherlands15.8
5New Zealand17.5
...
139Algeria111.2
140Uzbekistan111.3
141Bahrain112.9
142Bangladesh113.2
143Egypt113.6
144Bhutan114.4
Asia Avg99.8
World Avg87.7
q=199.

Bangladesh is amongst the worst places in the world at ensuring human rights and freedom, and it has severe cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Bangladesh does better than average for its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice20 and in speed of uptake of HR treaties21. When it comes to most other metrics, Bangladesh does not do well. It does worse than average in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports22, its nominal commitment to Human Rights23 (still high for Asia), opposing gender inequality24, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms25, supporting press freedom26, LGBT equality27 and in freethought28. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)29. Women's rights and safety are both poorly protected and despite already having almost the highest rate of early marriage in the world30 it passed a law in 2017 removing the minimum age for marriage under "special circumstances"31. Bangladesh's "Export Processing Zones" have reduced legal controls on labour abuses and are below minimum international standards, with lots of serious abuse of factory workers30 in the name of creating cheap exports for multinational firms.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

5. Bangladesh's Health

#alcohol #Bangladesh #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Asia (2020)32,33
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank32,33
1Hong Kong18.3
2Maldives41.0
3Singapore42.6
4Japan51.0
5S. Korea51.3
...
11Oman62.9
12N. Korea65.0
13Thailand65.3
14Bangladesh66.8
15Kuwait67.1
16Uzbekistan68.4
17Saudi Arabia69.3
Asia Avg80.1
q=50.
Health (2020)32,33
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank32,33
1Monaco13.0
2Hong Kong18.3
3Maldives41.0
4Singapore42.6
5Japan51.0
...
16Thailand65.3
17Finland65.3
18Switzerland65.6
19Bangladesh66.8
20Kuwait67.1
21Italy67.5
22Uzbekistan68.4
World Avg93.5
q=196.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Hong Kong and The Maldives32. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Marshall Islands, S. Sudan and Palau32.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and The Mediterranean32, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa32.

For more, see:

Health:

Bangladesh does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Bangladesh performs the best in its alcohol consumption rate34. It does better than average in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance35, its fertility rate14, its immunizations take-up36 (but low for Asia) and in its average life expectancy11. Bangladesh doesn't do so well in other areas. Bangladesh does worse than average for its smoking rate37 (still good for Asia) and in its adolescent birth rate24 (one of the worst in Asia). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016.

Bangladesh again failed to address its decades-long problem of arsenic in drinking water, with the World Health Organization estimating that 40 million peoplein the country are affected by arsenic poisoning. [...] In 2017, the government finally began to relocate about a third of the approximately 300 tanneries out of Hazaribagh, a residential area of Dhaka, to a dedicated industrial zone in Savar just outside the capital. The tanneries produce environmentally hazardous waste containing chemicals such as sulfur, ammonium, and chromium. However, many continue to operate [and the government announced delays to their relocation]

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)38

Life Expectancy (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
4Australia84.5
5Switzerland84.0
...
88Dominican Rep.72.6
89Oman72.5
90Belarus72.4
91Bangladesh72.4
92Peru72.4
93Syria72.1
Asia Avg73.48
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Alcohol Consumption (2016)34
Pos.Lower is better
Per Capita34
1Bangladesh0.0
2Kuwait0.0
3Libya0.0
4Mauritania0.0
5Somalia0.0
6Yemen0.1
7Afghanistan0.2
8Saudi Arabia0.2
9Syria0.3
10Pakistan0.3
11Kiribati0.4
12Iraq0.4
Asia Avg3.9
World Avg6.2
q=189.
Fertility Rate (2013)14
Pos.2.0 is best14
1N. Korea2.00
2Brunei1.99
3St Vincent & Grenadines2.01
4France1.99
5Turkey2.04
...
21New Zealand2.15
22Azerbaijan2.16
23Chile1.84
24Bangladesh2.16
25Belgium1.83
26Algeria2.17
Asia Avg2.46
World Avg2.81
q=180.
Smoking Rates (2014)37
Pos.Higher is worse37
182Montenegro4 125
181Belarus3 831
180Lebanon3 023
179Macedonia2 732
178Russia2 690
...
105Kyrgyzstan 68339
104New Zealand 680
103Morocco 671
102Bangladesh 665
101Singapore 652
100Equatorial Guinea 649
Asia Avg1 035
World Avg 819
q=182.
Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)35
Pos.Lower is better
Rank35
1Sweden1
2Ireland2
3Denmark3
4UK4
5Norway5
...
29Greece29
30Nicaragua30
31Armenia31
32Bangladesh32
33Hungary33
34Macedonia34
Asia Avg64.4
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Overweight Adults (2016)40
Pos.Lower is better
%40
1Vietnam18.3
2India19.7
3Bangladesh20.0
4Ethiopia20.9
5Nepal21.0
6Timor-Leste (E. Timor)21.6
7Cambodia21.7
8Niger22.0
9Eritrea22.0
10Burundi22.2
11Uganda22.4
12Afghanistan23.0
Asia Avg44.3
World Avg49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)24
Pos.Lower is better
Per 100024
1N. Korea0.5
2S. Korea1.6
3Switzerland2.9
4Hong Kong3.2
5Slovenia3.8
...
147Mauritania78.6
148Venezuela79.4
149Guatemala80.7
150Bangladesh83.0
151Benin83.2
152Iraq84.0
Asia Avg29.9
World Avg47.9
q=185.
Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)36
Pos.Higher is better
Avg %36
1Hungary99.0
2China99.0
3Uzbekistan98.9
4Niue98.8
5Mongolia98.7
...
77Norway94.3
78Bolivia94.2
79UAE94.0
80Bangladesh94.0
81Tanzania94.0
82Germany94.0
Asia Avg90.5
World Avg88.3
q=194.

6. Bangladesh's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #it_security #modernity #religion #religiosity #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Asia (2020)19
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank19
1Taiwan10.0
2Japan21.9
3S. Korea24.0
4Singapore27.9
5Israel32.2
...
40Turkmenistan105.3
41Nepal110.8
42Bhutan112.3
43Bangladesh112.9
44Laos115.2
45Iraq121.8
46Syria123.5
Asia Avg79.0
q=51.
Modernity and Learning (2020)19
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank19
1Finland8.4
2Taiwan10.0
3Switzerland15.1
4Estonia15.8
5Denmark16.0
...
148Guatemala111.7
149Bhutan112.3
150Rwanda112.3
151Bangladesh112.9
152Suriname114.4
153Laos115.2
154Cape Verde116.3
World Avg83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Secondary Education (2018)41
Pos.Higher is better41
1Luxembourg100.0%
2Estonia100.0%
3Austria100.0%
4Canada100.0%
5Finland100.0%
...
116Paraguay47.8%
117Nicaragua47.5%
118Maldives47.1%
119Bangladesh46.7%
120St Lucia46.0%
121Thailand44.8%
Asia Avg66.0%
World Avg63.0%
q=169.
Length of Schooling (2021)42
Pos.Higher is better
Years42
1Australia21.1
2New Zealand20.3
3Greece20.0
4Belgium19.6
5Sweden19.4
...
126Cape Verde12.6
127Guyana12.5
128Uzbekistan12.5
129Bangladesh12.4
130Samoa12.4
131Congo, (Brazzaville)12.3
Asia Avg13.5
World Avg13.5
q=193.
Intellectual Endeavours (2017)35
Pos.Lower is better
Rank35
1Ukraine1
2Czechia2
3Hungary3
4Denmark4
5UK5
...
127Kuwait127
128Vietnam128
129Azerbaijan129
130Bangladesh130
131Mongolia131
132Haiti132
Asia Avg97.1
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Religiosity (2018)43
Pos.Lower is better
%43
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
4Switzerland9
5Denmark9
...
71Dominican Rep.78
72Iran78
73Tunisia78
74Bangladesh80
75India80
76Iraq82
Asia Avg55.8
World Avg54.3
q=106.
IQ (2006)44
Pos.Higher is better44
1Hong Kong108
2Singapore108
3S. Korea106
4Japan105
5Taiwan105
...
90Oman83
91Syria83
92India82
93Bangladesh82
94Lebanon82
95Dominican Rep.82
Asia Avg90.4
World Avg85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users (2016)45
Pos.Higher is better45
1Iceland100%
2Faroe Islands99%
3Norway98%
4Bermuda97%
5Andorra97%
...
164Laos16%
165Namibia16%
166Turkmenistan15%
167Bangladesh13%
168Iraq13%
169Kiribati13%
Asia Avg48.7%
World Avg48.1%
q=201.
IT Security (2013)46
Pos.Lower is better46
1Ireland0.11
2Luxembourg0.11
3Belize0.11
4Hong Kong0.12
5Mexico0.16
...
74Sri Lanka1.67
75Oman1.72
76Iraq1.84
77Bangladesh1.87
78Sudan1.98
79India2.10
Asia Avg1.08
World Avg0.98
q=81.
IPv6 Uptake (2017)47
Pos.Higher is better
Ratio47
1Belgium55.4
2Germany41.8
3Switzerland35.1
4USA35.0
5Greece33.5
...
105Laos0.0
106Malta0.0
107Turkmenistan0.0
108Bangladesh0.0
109Qatar0.0
110Kuwait0.0
Asia Avg2.11
World Avg3.82
q=176.

7. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

Bangladesh has a consistently awful long-term record on corruption.

World Giving Index (2013-2021)48
Pos.Lower is better48
1Myanmar (Burma)2.7
2New Zealand4.0
3USA4.7
4Australia4.9
5Indonesia9.0
...
104Argentina85.3
105Kazakhstan85.7
106Portugal88.7
107Bangladesh88.9
108Ivory Coast89.0
109Macedonia89.6
Asia Avg62.5
World Avg67.9
q=160.
Corruption (2022)49
Pos.Higher is better
Points49
1Denmark90.0
2Finland87.0
3New Zealand87.0
4Norway84.0
5Singapore83.0
...
145Cameroon26.0
146Uganda26.0
147Guinea25.0
148Bangladesh25.0
149Iran25.0
150Central African Rep.24.0
Asia Avg39.98
World Avg42.98
q=180.
Happiness (2018)50
Pos.Higher is better50
1Finland7.6
2Norway7.6
3Denmark7.6
4Iceland7.5
5Switzerland7.5
...
112Albania4.6
113Sierra Leone4.6
114Congo, (Brazzaville)4.6
115Bangladesh4.5
116Sri Lanka4.5
117Iraq4.5
Asia Avg5.29
World Avg5.38
q=156.
Creativity and Culture (2017)35
Pos.Lower is better
Rank35
1Belgium1
2Netherlands2
3Estonia3
4Switzerland4
5Sweden5
...
127Mozambique127
128Niger128
129Sierra Leone129
130Bangladesh130
131Kazakhstan131
132Guinea132
Asia Avg99.0
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Open Trading, Aid and Development (2017)35
Pos.Lower is better
Rank35
1Ireland1
2Denmark2
3Sweden3
4Netherlands4
5Switzerland5
...
129Sierra Leone129
130Kenya130
131Kazakhstan131
132Bangladesh132
133Indonesia133
134Egypt134
Asia Avg86.3
World Avg82.0
q=163.

8. Peace Versus Instability

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index (2021)51
Pos.Lower is better51
1Iceland1.10
2New Zealand1.25
3Denmark1.26
4Portugal1.27
5Slovenia1.32
...
88Ecuador2.04
89Georgia2.05
90Uzbekistan2.06
91Bangladesh2.07
92Guinea2.07
93Gabon2.07
Asia Avg2.22
World Avg2.08
q=163.
Peacekeeping and Security (2017)35
Pos.Lower is better
Rank35
1Samoa1
2S. Africa2
3Tunisia3
4Egypt4
5Nigeria5
...
84Serbia84
85Mexico85
86Cambodia86
87Bangladesh87
88Honduras88
89Namibia89
Asia Avg76.0
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Refugees and UN Treaties (2017)35
Pos.Lower is better
Rank35
1Austria1
2Germany2
3Netherlands3
4Sweden4
5Malta5
...
56Lithuania56
57Ukraine57
58Croatia58
59Bangladesh59
60Seychelles60
61Philippines61
Asia Avg92.2
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Impact of Terrorism (2019)52
Pos.Lower is better
Score52
1Togo0.00
2Mongolia0.00
3Swaziland0.00
4Equatorial Guinea0.00
5Cambodia0.00
...
117Nepal5.09
118Burundi5.10
119Palestine5.18
120Bangladesh5.21
121Saudi Arabia5.24
122Ethiopia5.35
Asia Avg3.60
World Avg2.78
q=150.

9. The Natural Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #over-exploitation #the_environment

Forest Area Change 1990-2015 (2015)53
Pos.Higher is better
%53
1Iceland+205.6
2Bahrain+144.4
3Uruguay+131.3
4Kuwait+81.2
5Dominican Rep.+79.5
...
116Kazakhstan-03.3
117S. Korea-03.9
118Sao Tome & Principe-04.3
119Bangladesh-04.4
120Ecuador-04.4
121Burundi-04.5
Asia Avg+07.0
World Avg+02.8
q=184.
Environmental Performance (2018)54
Pos.Higher is better54
1Switzerland87.4
2France84.0
3Denmark81.6
4Malta80.9
5Sweden80.5
...
175Madagascar33.7
176Nepal31.4
177India30.6
178Congo, DR30.4
179Bangladesh29.6
180Burundi27.4
Asia Avg54.5
World Avg56.4
q=180.
Energy to GDP Efficiency (2014)55
Pos.Higher is better55
1Hong Kong26.32
2Sri Lanka20.00
3Panama17.86
4Colombia17.54
5Ireland17.54
...
15Costa Rica13.51
16Philippines13.51
17Luxembourg13.33
18Bangladesh13.16
19Italy13.16
20Cyprus12.99
Asia Avg09.14
World Avg09.29
q=119.
Convention on Biological Diversity
Pos.Earlier is better
Signed
1China1993 Dec 29
2Guinea1993 Dec 29
3Cook Islands1993 Dec 29
4Vanuatu1993 Dec 29
5Papua New Guinea1993 Dec 29
...
54Ethiopia1994 Jul 04
55Dominica1994 Jul 05
56Italy1994 Jul 14
57Bangladesh1994 Aug 01
58Luxembourg1994 Aug 07
59Georgia1994 Aug 31
Asia Avg1899 Dec 30
World Avg1899 Dec 30
q=197.
Rational Beliefs on the Environment (2011)56
Pos.Higher is better
%56
1Argentina78.3%
2Greece77.6%
3Brazil77.1%
4Trinidad & Tobago74.5%
5Costa Rica74.2%
...
22Madagascar62.8%
23Uruguay62.4%
24Angola62.4%
25Bangladesh61.5%
26Mali60.7%
27Venezuela60.1%
Asia Avg37.9%
World Avg39.9%
q=145.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy (2019)57
Pos.Higher is worse57
184Chad40.90
183Central African Rep.40.10
182Sierra Leone39.00
181Somalia38.90
180Nigeria37.10
...
127Guyana19.00
126Cambodia18.10
125Nepal17.50
124Bangladesh17.30
123Venezuela17.10
122Bhutan17.10
Asia Avg11.80
World Avg14.59
q=184.
Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) (2017)58
Pos.Lower is better
%58
1Ukraine25.0
2Belarus25.4
3Slovenia25.4
4Czechia25.9
5Moldova25.9
...
33Japan32.1
34Mongolia32.3
35Switzerland32.3
36Bangladesh32.4
37Mauritania32.6
38France32.7
Asia Avg35.2
World Avg38.1
q=152.
Multidimensional Poverty (2018)59
Pos.Lower is better
Severity59
1Armenia.001
2Ukraine.001
3Serbia.001
4Turkmenistan.001
5Jordan.002
...
63Myanmar (Burma).176
64Kenya.178
65Comoros.181
66Bangladesh.198
67Pakistan.198
68Haiti.200
Asia Avg.084
World Avg.154
q=101.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)43
Pos.Lower is better
%43
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
4Switzerland9
5Denmark9
...
71Dominican Rep.78
72Iran78
73Tunisia78
74Bangladesh80
75India80
76Iraq82
World Avg54.3
q=106.
Disbelief In God (2007)60
Pos.Higher is better
%60
1Vietnam81
2Japan65
3Sweden64
4Czechia61
5Estonia49
...
97Benin0
98Tunisia0
99Uganda0
100Bangladesh0
101UAE0
102Azerbaijan0
World Avg9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below61:

Christian0.2%
Muslim89.8%
Hindu9.1%
Buddhist0.5%
Folk Religion0.4%
Jew0.1%
Unaffiliated0.1%

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 100% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 80% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states simply: Muslim 89.5%, Hindu 9.6%, other 0.9% (2004)62.

When it comes to religious freedom and persecution, sociologists Grim & Finke place Bangladesh into the worst category, along with just 13 other countries. In this category, severe restrictions on religious freedom and freedom of belief stem simultaneously from top-down pressure from government and institutionalized religion, and from bottom-up grassroots movements that often go even further than the government in harrassing those who do not believe the right things (2011)63. The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)64, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for Bangladesh states:

The constitution and other laws and policies protect freedom of religion or belief. An amendment to the constitution passed in 2011 established Islam as the state religion yet reaffirmed the country is a "secular state".

Section 295A of the penal code states that any person who has "deliberate" or "malicious" intent to "hurt religious sentiments" can be imprisoned. Similarly, the Code of Criminal Procedure includes several clauses (99a-f) that states "the government may confiscate all copies of a newspaper if it publishes anything subversive of the state or provoking an uprising or anything that creates enmity and hatred among the citizens or denigrates religious beliefs."

Cases of Discrimination

On Jan. 4, 2012, the principal of a technical college, Yunus Ali, was arrested for keeping a copy of Taslima Nasrin's book Shame in the school library. The book tells the story of a Hindu family persecuted in Bangladesh. It was deemed blasphemous and banned by the Bangladeshi government in 1993 and Dr. Nasrin was forced to flee abroad to escape blasphemy charges and death threats.

On March 21, 2012, the Dhaka High Court ordered five Facebook pages and a website to be shut down after Dhaka University professors claimed the pages contained remarks and cartoons about the Prophet Muhammad, the Holy Qu'ran, Jesus, Buddha, and the Hindu Gods that insulted religious sentiments.

"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)65

Threats, violence and mob attacks have led to the murder and harassment of religious minorities and indigenous groups (i.e., non-Muslims).

Sporadic attacks and threats against religious minorities continued in 2017. In mid-November, a mob of nearly 20,000 looted and burned down over 30 homes in the majority-Hindu Thakurpara village in Rangpur Sadar, in response to rumors that a villager had published a Facebook post defaming the Prophet Muhammad.

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)66

The Murders of Freethinkers from 2013 Onwards:

Since 2013 in Bangladesh a horrible spate of killings of freethinkers, secularists and liberals has occurred67. It began with a march of tens of thousands of Muslims on the capital, demanding that the government itself increase censorship of "anti-Muslim" content. Students, community leaders and University professors alike have been hacked to death with machetes as a result of putting content online that is pro-science, pro-secularist, anti-war crimes, or which advocate LGBT tolerance. One extremist group openly published a list of 84 of their targets and in 2016 Apr the rate of murders increased to one a week. The Bangladesh government has done very little to curb the extremists. Murders for blasphemy against Islam do not just occur in Muslim counties; there is a long and unfortunate history of the same occurring in Europe and elsewhere - Theo van Gogh was killed in Amsterdam by a Dutch Moroccan Muslim for making a film criticizing Islam's attitude towards women.

"Blasphemy and Censorship: In Christianity and Islam: 4.1. Islam: Blasphemy and Censorship" by Vexen Crabtree (2012)

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