The history of Bangladesh dates back over four millennia to the Chalcolithic period. The region's early history was characterized by a succession of Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms and empires that fought for control over the Bengal region. Islam arrived in the 8th century and gradually became dominant from the early 13th century with the conquests led by Bakhtiyar Khalji and the activities of Sunni missionaries like Shah Jalal. Muslim rulers promoted the spread of Islam by building mosques across the region. From the 14th century onward, Bengal was ruled by the Bengal Sultanate, founded by Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah, who established an individual currency. The Bengal Sultanate expanded under rulers like Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah, leading to economic prosperity and military dominance, with Bengal being referred to by Europeans as the richest country to trade with. The region later became a part of the Mughal Empire, and according to historian C. A. Bayly, it was probably the empire's wealthiest province.
Politics of Bangladesh takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Bangladesh is the head of government and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The Constitution of Bangladesh was written in 1972 and has undergone seventeen amendments.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, also known by the honorific Bangabandhu, was a Bangladeshi politician, revolutionary, statesman, activist and diarist, who was the founding leader of Bangladesh. As the leader of Bangladesh, he had held continuous positions either as Bangladesh's president or as its prime minister from April 1971 until his assassination in August 1975. His nationalist ideology, socio-political theories, and political doctrines are collectively known as Mujibism.
Begum Khaleda Zia is a Bangladeshi politician, who served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996 and again from 2001 to 2006. She was the first female prime minister of Bangladesh and second female prime minister in the Muslim world, after Benazir Bhutto. She is the widow of one of the former President of Bangladesh, Ziaur Rahman. She is the chairperson and leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) since 1984, which was founded by her husband in 1978.
The Bangladesh Awami League, simply known as Awami League, is one of the major political parties in Bangladesh. The oldest existing political party in the country, the party played the leading role in achieving the independence of Bangladesh. It is also one of the two most dominant parties in the country, along with its archrival Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
The prime minister of Bangladesh, officially prime minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is the chief executive of the government of Bangladesh. The prime minister and the cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Parliament, to their political party and ultimately to the electorate. The prime minister is ceremonially appointed by the president of Bangladesh.
Sheikh Hasina is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Bangladesh from June 1996 to July 2001 and again from January 2009 to August 2024. She is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first president of Bangladesh. She served in the position of prime minister for over 20 years, making her the longest-serving prime minister in history of Bangladesh. Thus, she became the world's longest-serving female head of government. Her authoritarian regime ended in self-imposed exile following an uprising in 2024.
Bangladesh–India relations are the bilateral relations between the People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Republic of India, both of which are South Asian neighbours. Diplomatic relations between the two countries formally began in 1971 with India's recognition of an independent Bangladesh following India's military intervention helping Bangladesh secure independence following the Bangladesh Liberation War. On 6 December, Bangladesh and India celebrate Friendship Day commemorating India's recognition of Bangladesh and the continued friendship between the two countries.
Syed Modasser AliFRCS, FRCOpth is an ophthalmic surgeon from Bangladesh and was the Health, Family Welfare and Social Welfare adviser to the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, from 2009 to 2013. He is the founder of Mojibunnessa Eye Hospital, the first registered eye hospital in Bangladesh and founding editor-in-chief of the Bangladesh Ophthalmic Journal, the first peer-review ophthalmic journal in Bangladesh. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of Community Ophthalmology and his book titled Community Ophthalmology, published in 1985, is considered to be the first textbook on the subject by the British Journal of Ophthalmology. He is currently overseeing the Bangladesh Community Clinic programme as chair of the board of trustees. He is an executive board member of the World Health Organization (WHO), having previously served on the board twice before.
Transport between India and Bangladesh bears much historical and political significance for both countries, which possessed no ground transport links for 43 years, starting with the partition of Bengal and India in 1947. The Kolkata–Dhaka Bus (1999) and the Dhaka–Agartala Bus (2001) are the primary road links between the two countries; a direct Kolkata-Agartala running through Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh is being developed by both countries. The Maitree Express was launched to revive a railway link between Kolkata and Dhaka that had been shut for 43 years.
The history of Bangladesh (1971–present) refers to the period after the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan.
The Padma Multipurpose Bridge, commonly known as the Padma Bridge, is a two-level road-rail bridge across the Padma River, the main distributary of the Ganges in Bangladesh.
The N2 is a Bangladeshi national highway connecting the capital Dhaka and the town of Tamabil in the Sylhet District at the Indian border. The route passes through the city of Sylhet, crossing the Surma River on the Keane bridge. Sections of the highway are known as the Dhaka–Sylhet Highway and the Sylhet–Tamabil Highway. It is part of AH1 and AH2 in the Asian Highway Network.
Sheikh Rehana Siddiq is a Bangladesh Awami League politician. She is the younger sister of the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the daughter of the first President of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. She is also the mother of Tulip Siddiq, a British Labour Party politician and elected Member of Parliament and City Minister.
Bangladesh–Morocco relations refer to the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Morocco. Bangladesh has an embassy in Rabat and Morocco has one in Dhaka. Both countries are members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Group of 77, Non-Aligned Movement and United Nations.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Road is a street situated in Lutyens' Delhi at the centre of New Delhi, capital of India. The road was formerly named Park Street. The name was changed by New Delhi Municipal Council as a "friendly gesture" towards Bangladesh. The road is named after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Founding Father of Bangladesh. The newly renamed road was opened by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 8 April 2017.
The Northern Route is one of the branches of the approved MRT Line 5 of Dhaka Metro Rail; the other one being the Southern Route. The construction of the Northern Route started in 4 November 2023 and is scheduled to commence operation by 2028.
Kushtia City Bypass Road (Bengali: কুষ্টিয়া শহর বাইপাস সড়ক) or N713 (Bangladesh) is a national highway and bypass road located next to Kushtia city. Construction of the road began in 2016 and was inaugurated in 2018.
AH41 [1] 
