Bangladesh in retrospect

The most significant event for Bangladesh in the last century has been its birth as an independent nation. Prior to that, it experienced British colonial rule until 1947, followed by an oppressive existence as East Pakistan from 1947 to 1971.

The life of our people has often been shaped by tragedy. Floods have devastated our land and tidal waves from the sea have swept away thousands of lives. Poverty has been an ever-present specter. As a result, nearly seventy percent of the population suffer from carious degrees of malnutrition. Rapid population growth has added to this problem. Although the growth rate has slowed down to some extent, the population has almost doubled since independence.
On the other hand, turbulent politics and instability and the rise of terrorism and crime are adversely affecting society.

Despite these negative aspects, the last twenty-five years will remain memorable for certain events. The 21^st of February 1952 immediately comes to mind. Only recently, our language day has been declared the International Mother Language Day by UNESCO. 16 December 1971 is another day our nation will cherish forever- the day when we became citizens of a free state following our victory over the occupation forces of Pakistan. In addition, in the field of literature, art and culture we have produced great poets, novelists, and artists. For instance, Bangladesh is proud of the great poet Kazi Nazrul Islam who raised his fiery voice against injustice and oppression.