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About Bangladesh

History

Bangladesh was created as East Pakistan in 1947, when British rule ended in India. Bangladesh declared its independence from Pakistan after a brief civil war in 1971. Over 160 million people live in an area roughly 14.5 million square kilometers that is about twice the size of Ireland. More than 85 percent of the population is Muslim while 13 percent are Hindu and Christians are less than 1 percent. Bengali is the national language while more than 50 tribal groups speak their own languages. Bangladesh is one of the lowest per capital income countries (U$ 460) and about 50 per cent of the annual national budget relies on foreign donors.

Disability in Bangladesh

The total population of people with disabilities in Bangladesh is unclear. The National Forum Organizations Working with Disabilities (NFOWD) says 5.6 per cent while others say around  7 to 8 per cent, and it was said that 3 per cent of the total population are people with an intellectual disability. In Bangladesh, cultural values and religious beliefs are strong forces in shaping peoples' attitudes towards people with disabilities. A social stigma and prejudice are still strong and mothers and women with a disability are deeply disadvantaged in this society. A mother whose child has some disabilities is often blamed by her family members, and it happens often that a husband abandons his wife and a disabled child and remarries.

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