Bangladesh

American  

[bahng-gluh-desh, bang-] / ˌbɑŋ gləˈdɛʃ, ˌbæŋ- /

noun

1. republic in South Asia, north of the Bay of Bengal: a member of the Commonwealth of Nations; a former province of Pakistan. 54,501 sq. mi. (141,158 sq. km). Dhaka.

---

Bangladesh British  

/ ˌbɑːŋɡləˈdɛʃ, ˌbæŋ- /

noun

1. a republic in S Asia: formerly the Eastern Province of Pakistan; became independent in 1971 after civil war and the defeat of Pakistan by India; consists of the plains and vast deltas of the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers; prone to flooding: economy based on jute and jute products (over 70 per cent of world production); a member of the Commonwealth. Language: Bengali. Religion: Muslim. Currency: taka. Capital: Dhaka. Pop: 163 654 860 (2013 est). Area: 142 797 sq km (55 126 sq miles)

---

Bangladesh Cultural  

1. Republic in southern Asia, bordered by India to the north, west, and east; the Bay of Bengal to the south; and Burma to the southeast. Its capital and largest city is Dacca.

---

Discover More

Created as East Pakistan in 1947, when India gained its independence from Britain and Muslim leaders demanded a Muslim state. Separated by cultural differences and one thousand miles of Indian territory from a neglectful central government in West Pakistan (now Pakistan), Bangladesh achieved its independence in 1971 after a bloody revolt and Indian intervention. It has been struck frequently by devastating typhoons.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Bangladesh

Relations between India and Bangladesh, strained under the interim administration that took power after Hasina's fall, have stabilised since Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman took office in February.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

Youth-led protests in Bangladesh in 2024 toppled the government of Sheikh Hasina and led to her ouster.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

England women will host Bangladesh in a three-match T20 series and a three-match ODI series in September.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

She spent two days and a night adrift in the Andaman Sea off Bangladesh after the overcrowded vessel carrying about 280 people sank following four days of travel.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

But it is only a little exaggeration to claim that everywhere that liberty is cherished—Britain to Bangladesh, Sweden to Soweto—people are children of the Haudenosaunee and their neighbors.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann