Countries, Compared

Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a UN member state in Southern Asia. Its official language is Bengali (Bangla) and the capital is Dhaka. The country code top-level domain is .bd.

Countries, Compared: country research and comparison

Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a UN member state in Southern Asia. Its official language is Bengali (Bangla) and the capital is Dhaka. The country code top-level domain is .bd. The national statistical office is the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). These identifiers are fixed by the UN and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). They describe statistical and coding identity, not political claims.

The UN M49 standard assigns code 050, ISO alpha-2 BD and ISO alpha-3 BGD. The UN region is Asia and the UN subregion is Southern Asia. The World Bank capital field returns Dhaka. The M49 overview is maintained by the United Nations Statistics Division and is available at M49 codes are statistical identifiers; they do not imply legal status or political recognition of any territory or boundary. Country names, borders and membership statuses can be disputed. The M49 list reflects the UN’s statistical convention and is not an assertion of sovereignty.

What the stable identifiers mean

The United Nations Statistical Commission maintains the M49 standard, which assigns codes and region names to countries and areas. This is a statistical geography, not a political or territorial statement. For Bangladesh, the M49 facts are:

  • UN M49 code: 050
  • ISO alpha-2: BD
  • ISO alpha-3: BGD
  • UN region: Asia
  • UN subregion: Southern Asia
  • UN member state: Yes
  • World Bank capital field: Dhaka

The World Bank country API at returns country codes, income level and lending categories. These classification facts come from the UN Statistics Division M49 overview and the World Bank country API. Classification is a statistical convention, not a political or territorial statement.

How to verify current data without freezing volatile figures

Population, currency, government structure and economic indicators change frequently. Do not rely on a static number. For current figures, use the primary sources directly and note the reference year of each figure you cite.

Population and development indicators

The UN Population Division publishes the World Population Prospects, the standard global source, with biennial revisions (reference year: 2024 revision). For a quicker snapshot, the World Bank country profile page (data.worldbank.org/country/bangladesh) reports population estimates derived from UN data. The indicator API (for example, SP.POP.TOTL) gives population estimates with the reference year listed per indicator. Always state whether the figure is a census count or an estimate.

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) publishes census and survey data. The latest census reference year is 2022. For census-based data, prefer the national statistical office. For cross-country comparisons, prefer the World Bank or IMF.

Economic data and governance indicators

The World Bank country API returns current classification data, including income level and region. For indicators like GDP per capita, use the World Bank DataBank (data.worldbank.org) and name the specific indicator code and reference year. For governance and human development, consult UNDP’s HDI and World Bank governance indicators.

Languages, literacy and education

The Ethnologue database and the Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS) publish language data. The constitution names Bengali (Bangla) as the official language. Minority language figures come from surveys, not censuses, and vary by source. UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) provides education and literacy indicators with methodology notes. National census reports often contain language data.

Currency and financial data

The Bangladeshi taka (BDT) is issued by Bangladesh Bank. Exchange rates move continuously. Check the central bank or a current financial data provider for today’s rate.

Health metrics

The WHO Global Health Observatory provides country profiles and health indicators.

Travel requirements and safety

Visa and entry rules change without notice. Always check your own government’s current travel advisory and the IATA Travel Centre before planning. Never rely on a third-party summary for visa decisions.

Time zone, internet domain and codes

IANA maintains the .bd domain and time zone database.

How to compare nations fairly

Country comparisons should always compare like with like: same source, same year, same definition. Population from a census year cannot be compared directly to an estimate from a different year. GDP nominal and GDP PPP measure different things. Literacy rates may use different definitions. When comparing Bangladesh to another nation, note the source and year for each value, then compare the gaps, not just the numbers.

How to read sources critically

Distinguish primary from secondary sources. Check the original agency’s methodology and reference date. Cross-check with another source. Note when data is an estimate or model, not a census or count. Understand that the World Bank API returns metadata, not just numbers; read the “label” and “description” fields. For a deeper guide, see the Source Literacy page.

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