The year 2007 was the 36th year after the independence of Bangladesh. It was also the first year of the regime of the fourth caretaker Government led by Fakhruddin Ahmed.
| 142,660,381 | ||
| Population density (per km2) | 1096.0 | |
| Population growth (annual %) | 1.2% | |
| Male to Female Ratio (every 100 Female) | 104.4 | |
| Urban population (% of total) | 28.2% | |
| Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) | 22.7 | |
| Death rate, crude (per 1,000 people) | 6.0 | |
| Mortality rate, under 5 (per 1,000 live births) | 58 | |
| Life expectancy at birth, total (years) | 68.6 | |
| Fertility rate, total (births per woman) | 2.5 |
In 2007 a series of floods impacted South Asia including Bangladesh. On 1 August, there was flooding on the Padma and Brahmaputra rivers.[1] By 3 August, the main highway connecting Dhaka to the rest of the country was impassable,[2] many districts were flood-affected[3] and 500,000 people had been marooned. By 7 August an estimated 7.5 million people had fled their homes.[4] By 8 August more than 50,000 people had diarrhoea or other waterborne diseases[5] and more than 400,000 people were in temporary shelters.[6]
As of 21 July, the flood impacted districts included Dhaka, Munshiganj, Rajbari, Madaripur, Shariatpur, Manikganj, Netrakona, Jamalpur and Tangail in Dhaka division; Magura and Narail in Khulna division; Sirajganj, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Bogra and Kurigram in Rajshahi division and Sylhet, Sunamganj and Sherpur in Sylhet division.[7] By 11 August, flood deaths were still occurring in Bangladesh, the number of people with flood-related diseases was increasing[8] and about 100,000 people had caught dysentery or diarrhoea.[9] By 13 August, the confirmed death toll in Bangladesh was 405.[10] By 15 August, five million people were still displaced, the estimated death toll was nearly 500,[11] and all six of Bangladesh's divisions were affected.
An extremely severe tropical cyclone, named Cyclone Sidr resulted in one of the worst natural disasters in Bangladesh this year. Sidr formed in the central Bay of Bengal, and quickly strengthened to reach peak 1-minute sustained winds of 260 km/h (160 mph), making it a Category-5 equivalent tropical cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.[12] The storm eventually made landfall in Bangladesh on November 15, 2007, causing large-scale evacuations.[13] At least 3,447 deaths have been blamed on the storm,[14] with some estimates reaching 15,000.
Save the Children estimated the number of deaths associated with the cyclone to be between 3,100 and 10,000, while the Red Crescent Society reported on November 18 that the number of deaths could be up to 15,000.[15] Other aid agencies have estimated a death toll of up to 15,000. International groups pledged US$95 million to repair the damage,[16] which was estimated at $1.7 billion (2007 USD).
Coastal districts of Bangladesh faced heavy rainfall as an early impact of the cyclone. Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh experienced drizzle and gusty winds. Total damages came close to $450 million. The damage was extensive, including tin shacks flattened, houses and schools blown away and enormous tree damages. Some local officials have described the damage as being even worse than that from the 1991 cyclone.[17] The entire cities of Patuakhali, Barguna and Jhalokati District were hit hard by the storm surge of over 5 meters (16 ft).[18] About a quarter of the world heritage site Sunderbans were damaged. Researchers said mangrove forest Sunderban will take at least 40 years to recover itself from this catastrophe.[19] Much of the capital city of Dhaka was also severely affected, as electricity and water service were cut and significant damage was reported there due to winds and flooding.[20] The local agricultural industry was also devastated, as many rice crops — which have a December harvest — were lost.[21]
At least 3,447 deaths have been reported. Highest estimated death toll is around 15,000.[14] The hardest-hit area was Barguna, where 423 people were reported to have been killed, according to local officials. Patuakhali was also hard-hit, with 385 deaths reported.[20] Most of the deaths confirmed thus far were due to the winds, although 13 of them have been as a result of capsized boats in the Faridpur district of Bangladesh.[22] The head of the Red Crescent in Bangladesh expected the death toll to reach as high as 15,000.[23] Over 3,000 other fishermen were reported missing on over 500 fishing boats.[24] The maximum estimated death toll from Sidr in the densely populated region is over 15,000.[25]
| Current US$ | Current BDT | % of GDP | ||
| GDP | $79.6 billion | BDT5.5 trillion | ||
| GDP growth (annual %) | 7.1% | |||
| GDP per capita | $558.1 | BDT38,539 | ||
| Agriculture, value added | $14.2 billion | BDT1.0 trillion | 17.8% | |
| Industry, value added | $19.5 billion | BDT1.3 trillion | 24.5% | |
| Services, etc., value added | $42.1 billion | BDT2.9 trillion | 52.9% | |
| Balance of Payment | ||||
| Current US$ | Current BDT | % of GDP | ||
| Current account balance | $0.9 billion | 1.1% | ||
| Imports of goods and services | $19.6 billion | BDT1.3 trillion | 22.9% | |
| Exports of goods and services | $14,090.3 million | BDT0.9 trillion | 17.0% | |
| Foreign direct investment, net inflows | $651.0 million | 0.8% | ||
| Personal remittances, received | $6,562.3 million | 8.2% | ||
| Total reserves (includes gold) at year end | $5,277.5 million | |||
| Total reserves in months of imports | 3 | |||
Bangladesh national cricket team defeats favorites India national cricket team at the 2007 Cricket World Cup, pulling the biggest upset of the tournament.
Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus backs down from forming a political party.
Monsoon rain causes mudslide in Chittagong killing at least 128 people.
Former President H M Ershad quits the post of Chairman of Jatiya Party.
Bangladesh police detains former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on corruption charges.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines turns into a Public Limited Company.
Dhaka High Court suspends the extortion trial of Sheikh Hasina under emergency rule.
Bangabandhu murder case hearing resumes after 6 years.
Bangladesh seeks emergency flood aid. (REUTERS)
Five thousand Dhaka University students riot, resulting in major disruption to the university with 150 students being injured. (USA Today)
Bangladesh imposes curfew in six cities. (WSJ)
Bangladesh suspends indefinite curfew for 14 hours.[27]
Dhaka rejects Delhi's claim of Bangladesh link with 25 August 2007 Hyderabad bombings, describing them as 'baseless'. (Daily Star)
Bangladesh lifts curfew in major cities.[28]
The military-backed interim government in Bangladesh arrested former PM Khaleda Zia on charges of extortion and corruption. (BBC)
Fakhruddin Ahmed addresses the nation and recalls indoor politics with strict conditions in preparation for next general election. (Daily Star)
Government evacuated coastal areas after a weather forecast for a possible Tsunami. (Daily Star)
The Government fines Grameenphone USD 24.5 million for illegal use of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP). (AFP)
Banglalink pays US$18.5 million VoIP fine. (TeleGeography)
Bangladesh joins Trans-Asian Railway Network Agreement. (xinhua)
Aktel gets fined US$21 million for illegal VoIP trade. (Daily Star)
Cyclone Sidr with wind speed up to 260 km/h strikes Bangladesh, leaving at highest estimate 15,000 people dead. It is one of the deadliest tropical cyclone in history.[29]
At least four workers were killed and about 50 others were injured when the roof of a 22-storey building (Rangs Bhaban) collapsed as it was being demolished in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka. (Daily Star)
Victory Day observed, nation demanded trial of war criminals. (reuters)
The adviser to Bangladesh's interim government for education and cultural affairs, Ayub Quadri, resigns amid an inquiry into the theft of two rare archaeological artifacts. (reuters)
Mohammad Sharif Husain, educationist and activist in the Bengali Language Movement (b. 1934)
Kazi Anowar Hossain, painter (b. 1941)
Rosy Afsari, actor (b. 1946)
Manjural Islam Rana, cricketer (b. 1984)
Abdul Karim, historian (b. 1928)
A S H K Sadek, politician (b. 1934)
Ubaidul Haq, khatib of national mosque (b. 1928)
Obaidul Huq, journalist and writer (b. 1911)
Black Anwar, actor (b. 1941)
Sanjeeb Choudhury, journalist and singer (b. 1964)
Mahbub Ul Alam Choudhury, poet, journalist, and activist in the Bengali Language Movement (b. 1927)