BANGLADESH: country facts

Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma (Myanmar) to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south. Together with the Indian state of West Bengal, it makes up the ethno-linguistic region of Bengal. The name Bangladesh means "Country of Bengal" in the official Bengali language. www.virtualbangladesh.com

Bangladesh is one of the world's most densely populated countries, with its people crammed into a delta of rivers flowing into the Bay of Bengal. There are 150 million people living in an area of 147.570 km2.

Bangladesh is one of the least developed countries of the world where 40% people live below the poverty line. The poverty is deep and widespread; almost half of the population lives on less than a dollar a day. However, Bangladesh has reduced its population growth and improved the health and education according the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals). www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION IN BANGLADESH 

 In Bangladesh, there are great obstacles to be met in the educational system. In spite of the National Law to ensure an equal and obligatory education for all children, the problem is that, among the poorest part of the population, children are still kept out of school. These children live in the slums, in the tribal districts, or in the most remote rural areas. Mostly they have to work daily to support their family or else they are physically or mentally challenged.

Education is still mostly the privilege of only the richest elite. Special needs education is lacking or does not meet the groups needing it. Persons with ASDs do not have a possibility for a proper diagnosis and treatment. Also chances to get into a rehabilitation process are poor.

Three billion people are living on less than a dollar a day

In our world, there are almost three billion people living on less than a dollar a day. Eight hundred and forty million people do not have enough to eat. Ten million children die every year from easily preventable diseases. One billion people do not have access to clean water, two billion have no sanitation. About a quarter of children in the poor countries do not finish even the primary school. They work for their living instead of playing and learning. Four billion people, 60 % of the global population live in Asia, the poorest and the most populated continent.

In the development cooperation in Asia, the major challenges are: rapidly growing economy, unequal distribution of wealth, economic crises and rising poverty, as well as problems of environmental protection. Besides, the continent has in recent years been afflicted by political upheavals, natural disasters and is facing the end of rapid economic growth.