2004 in Bangladesh explained

The year 2004 was the 33rd year after the independence of Bangladesh. It was the fourth year of the third term of the government of Khaleda Zia.

Incumbents

• President: Iajuddin Ahmed
• Prime Minister: Khaleda Zia
• Chief Justice: Khondokar Mahmud Hasan (until 27 January), Syed Jillur Rahim Mudasser Husain (starting 27 January)

Demography

Population, total

136,986,429
Population density (per km^2)	1052.4
Population growth (annual %)	1.6%
Male to Female Ratio (every 100 Female)	105.2
Urban population (% of total)	26.1%
Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people)	24.7
Death rate, crude (per 1,000 people)	6.3
Mortality rate, under 5 (per 1,000 live births)	69
Life expectancy at birth, total (years)	67.3
Fertility rate, total (births per woman)	2.8

Climate

Flood

Following early flooding in the northwest districts of Bangladesh in April, monsoon flood intensified in early July leading to the destruction of the rice crop in that region just before it was harvested. Water persisted in these regions for 3 to 4 weeks whilst gradually draining southwards, severely flooding most of Central Bangladesh. The high water level and widest extent of the flood was reached on 24 July. In total 39 out of 64 districts and 36 million people were affected. The water had receded in most places by mid-August, but in mid-September, a localised depression caused continuous torrential rain and high winds over a six-day period, bringing renewed flooding to many parts of Central Bangladesh, but also flooding areas never normally flooded by the rivers, including Dhaka and other urban areas.^[1]

Economy

National Income

	Current US$	Current BDT	% of GDP
GDP	$65.1 billion	BDT3,832.9 billion
GDP growth (annual %)	5.2%
GDP per capita	$475.3	BDT27,980
Agriculture, value added	$12.5 billion	BDT738.5 billion	19.3%
Industry, value added	$14.8 billion	BDT873.1 billion	22.8%
Services, etc., value added	$34.4 billion	BDT2,024.0 billion	52.8%
Balance of Payment
	Current US$	Current BDT	% of GDP
Current account balance	style="text-align: right;"	-$0.3 billion		style="text-align: right;"	-.4%
Imports of goods and services	$13.0 billion	BDT602.2 billion	15.7%
Exports of goods and services	$9,117.4 million	BDT427.2 billion	11.1%
Foreign direct investment, net inflows	$448.9 million		0.7%
Personal remittances, received	$3,583.8 million		5.5%
Total reserves (includes gold) at year end	$3,221.8 million
Total reserves in months of imports	2.9

Note: For the year 2004 average official exchange rate for BDT was 59.51 per US$.

Events

• 26 March – Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) is formed for crime control.
• 1 April – Police and Coast Guard interrupted the loading of 10 trucks and seized extensive illegal arms and ammunition at a jetty of Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited (CUFL) on the Karnaphuli River. This is believed to be the largest arms smuggling incident in the history of Bangladesh.
• 9 April – Forty people were killed and 1,000 injured by tornadoes in Netrokona and Mymensingh districts.^[2]
• 20 May – Three people are killed and dozens injured, including the British High Commissioner in Bangladesh, in a bombing at a shrine in Sylhet.^[3]
• 3 August – Bangladesh appeals for aid after flooding that covered 60% of the nation.^[4]
• 21 August – A grenade attack took place at an anti-terrorism rally organised by Awami League on Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka. The attack left 24 dead and more than 300 injured. The attack was carried out at 5.22 pm after Sheikh Hasina the leader of opposition finished addressing a crowd of 20,000 people from the back of a truck.^[5] The attacks targeted Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, who was injured in the attack.^[6]
• 2 September – Two former police officers convicted of the rape of a girl in 1995 are executed.^[7] A third convicted cop was later executed on 29 September.^[8]
• 14 September – Unprecedented heavy rainfall inundated more than two-thirds of Dhaka city.^[9]
• 25 September – The Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre (earlier named Bhashani Novo Theatre) opened to public.^[10]
• 20 October – Three former army officers were sentenced to death for the assassination of Shaikh Mujibur Rahman and his family in 1975.^[11]

Awards and recognitions

International Recognition

• Abdullah Abu Sayeed, the Founder of Bishwo Shahitto Kendro, was awarded Ramon Magsaysay Award.^[12]
• ATN Bangla won the special International Children’s Day of Broadcasting Award at the 32nd International Emmy Awards Gala in New York City.^[13]

Independence Day Award

Recipients	Area	Note
	liberation war
	liberation war	posthumous
	medical science
	education	posthumous
	literature	posthumous
	culture	posthumous
	social work
	sports	organization
	rural development	organization
	social work	organization

Ekushey Padak

1. Mohammad Moniruzzaman Miah (education)
2. Wakil Ahmed (research)
3. Farida Hossain (literature)
4. Nilufar Yasmin (music, posthumously)
5. Moniruzzaman Monir (music)
6. Mustafa Manwar (fine arts)
7. Nawab Faizunnesa (social service, posthumously)
8. Zobaida Hannan (social service)
9. A.Z.M. Enayetullah Khan (journalism)
10. Chashi Nazrul Islam (film)

Sports

• Olympics:
  • Bangladesh sent a delegation to compete in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Bangladesh did not win any medals in the competition.
  • Bangladesh also made its Paralympic début at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens. The country was represented by a single athlete competing in one sport, and did not win a medal.
• South Asian (Federation) Games:
  • Bangladesh participated in the South Asian Games held in Islamabad, Pakistan. Bangladesh won 3 golds, 13 silvers and 24 bronzes to finish the tournament at the fifth position in overall points table.^[14]
• Domestic football:
  • Brothers Union (Dhaka) won National League title while Muktijoddha SKC (Dhaka) came out runner-up.^[15]
• Cricket:
  • The Bangladeshi cricket team toured Zimbabwe for a two-match Test series and a five-match One Day International (ODI) series between 19 February and 14 March 2004. Zimbabwe won the Test series 1–0^[16] and the ODI series 2–1.^[17]
  • Meanwhile, Bangladesh hosted the 2004 Under-19 Cricket World Cup from 15 February to 5 March. Bangladesh could not progress from the group stage, but Enamul Haque from Bangladesh became the highest wicket taker in the tournament.
  • Bangladesh toured the West Indies from May to June 2004 to play two Test matches and three Limited Overs Internationals.^[18] The first test match was drawn, while West Indies won the second test.
  • New Zealand cricket team toured Bangladesh from 14 October to 7 November 2004. They played two Test matches and three One Day Internationals against Bangladesh. New Zealand won all the matches.^[19]
  • The Indian cricket team toured Bangladesh for two Tests and three ODIs from 10 December 2004 to 27 December 2004. India won the Test series 2-0 and the ODI series 2–1.

Deaths

• 6 January – Sumita Devi, actor (b. 1936)^[20]
• 10 May – Ershad Sikder, serial killer (executed)^[21]
• 29 May – Anjuman Ara Begum, singer (b. 1942)
  • • 26 June M. R. Akhtar Mukul, journalist (b. 1929)
  • Mainur Reza Chowdhury, jurist (b. 1938)^[22]
• 27 June – Humayun Kabir Balu, journalist (b. 1947)
• 12 August – Humayun Azad, writer (b. 1947)
• 24 August – Ivy Rahman, politician (b. 1934)
• 16 December – Nazma Anwar, actor (b. 1941)

See also

• 2000s in Bangladesh
• List of Bangladeshi films of 2004
• Timeline of Bangladeshi history

Notes and References

1. Web site: Bangladesh: Monsoon Floods 2004 – Post-flood needs assessment summary report. 6 October 2004. ReliefWeb.
2. News: Tornados rake Bangladesh. UPI. 8 August 2019. 15 April 2004.
3. News: Nine held over Bangladesh bombing . BBC News.
4. News: Bangladesh appeals for flood aid . BBC News.
5. News: Bhattacharjee . Partha . 21 August 2014 . Back from death, only to suffer . The Daily Star . 20 September 2014.
6. News: Sultan . Tipu . Karmakar . Prasanta . 10 years of 21 August grenade attack . Prothom Alo . 9 July 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141114145452/http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/52307/Ten-years-since-the-21-August-grenade-atta . 14 November 2014 . dead .
7. News: Bangladesh hangs two officers for rape. UPI. 8 August 2019. 2 September 2004.
8. News: Third policeman executed for rape. UPI. 8 August 2019. 29 September 2004.
9. Simulation of a Heavy Rainfall Event on 14 September 2004 over Dhaka, Bangladesh Using MM5 Model . Journal of Scientific Research. 3 . 2 . 261–270 . 10.3329/jsr.v3i2.6656. 30 April 2011. Quadir . D. A. . Chowdhury . Dr. M. A. M. . Ahasan . M. N. . free.
10. News: A day in the night sky. 26 November 2013. The Daily Star. 27 September 2017. en.
11. News: Bangladesh sentences three to death. UPI. 8 August 2019. 21 October 2004.
12. Web site: Awardees who worked in Bangladesh. Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. 4 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180701004536/http://rmaward.asia/awardees/country/bangladesh/. 1 July 2018. dead.
13. Web site: ATN Bangla wins International Children’s Day of Broadcasting Award. UNICEF. 22 Nov 2004. 4 Feb 2021.
14. Web site: South Asian Games. Olympic Council of Asia. 16 July 2019.
15. Web site: List of Champions. Atsushi Fujioka for Rec. Sport. Soccer Statistics Foundation. 16 October 2018.
16. Web site: Bangladesh in Zimbabwe Test Series 2003/04 / Results . ESPN. Cricinfo. 2 January 2011.
17. Web site: Bangladesh in Zimbabwe ODI Series 2003/04 / Results . ESPN. Cricinfo. 2 January 2011.
18. https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Seasons/WI/2004_WI_Bangladesh_in_West_Indies_2004.html CricketArchive – tour itinerary
19. http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/series/62139.html?template=fixtures New Zealand cricket team in Bangladesh in 2004–05 fixtures
20. News: Sumita Devi passes away . The Daily Star . 7 January 2004 . 20 September 2018.
21. News: Bangladesh executes, buries serial killer. UPI. 8 August 2019. 11 May 2004.
22. Web site: Justice Mainur Reza Chy passes away. The Daily Star. 27 June 2004. 18 July 2018.