2018 in Bangladesh explained

The year 2018 was the 47th year after the independence of Bangladesh. It was also the fifth year of the third term of the Government of Sheikh Hasina.

Incumbents

• President: Mohammad Abdul Hamid
• Prime Minister: Sheikh Hasina
• Chief Justice: Syed Mahmud Hossain
• Speaker of Jatiya Sangsad: Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury

Demography

Population, total

161,376,713
Population density (per km^2)	1239.7
Population growth (annual %)	1.1%
Male to Female Ratio (every 100 Female)	102.5
Urban population (% of total)	36.6%
Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people)	18.2
Death rate, crude (per 1,000 people)	5.5
Mortality rate, under 5 (per 1,000 live births)	32
Life expectancy at birth, total (years)	72.3
Fertility rate, total (births per woman)	2.0

Economy

National Income

	Current US$	Current BDT	% of GDP
GDP	$274.0 billion	BDT22.5 trillion
GDP growth (annual %)	7.9%
GDP per capita	$1,698.1	BDT139,455
Agriculture, value added	$35.8 billion	BDT2.9 trillion	13.1%
Industry, value added	$78.2 billion	BDT6.4 trillion	28.5%
Services, etc., value added	$145.1 billion	BDT11.9 trillion	53.0%
Balance of Payment
	Current US$	Current BDT	% of GDP
Current account balance	style="text-align: right;"	-$7.1 billion		style="text-align: right;"	-2.6%
Imports of goods and services	$65.6 billion	BDT5.3 trillion	23.4%
Exports of goods and services	$44,128.0 million	BDT3.3 trillion	14.8%
Foreign direct investment, net inflows	$2,421.6 million		0.9%
Personal remittances, received	$15,566.2 million		5.7%
Total reserves (includes gold) at year end	$32,028.4 million
Total reserves in months of imports	5.7

Note: For the year 2018 average official exchange rate for BDT was 83.47 per US$.

Events

• 7 January - Mritunjoyi Mujib was inaugurated.
• 10 January - Tablighi Jamaat holds a mass blockade protesting against and preventing the entry of Indian Scholar Maulana Saad Kandhalvi to the holy Islamic gathering for the Bishwa Ijtema, who is forced to return home in face of the protests.^[1]
• 8 February - Ex Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia as per court verdict is jailed for 5 years in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case. She is imprisoned in old Dhaka Central Jail located in Nazimuddin Road.^[2]
• 11 April - The Prime Minister announced the abolition of Quota system in Government recruitment in response to Bangladesh Quota Reform Protests 2018.
• 5 May - Unidentified gunmen ambushed and assassinated 5 people in Rangamati district, including UPDF leader Tapan Jyoti Chakma. It is suspected the attack was caused by internal conflicts between rival Chackma factions. This is the deadliest such incident involving the indigenous tribal Chackma people since the signing of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord in 1997.^{[3] [4]}
• 26 May- Kazi Nazrul Islam University of West Bengal awarded PM Sheikh Hasina with Doctorate of Literature.
• 23 June - 52 people are killed in road accident in a single day as people were returning from Eid Vacation. This is the country's highest reported number of casualties from a road crash in a single day in recent times.^[5]
• 29 July - 9 August - On 29 July two college students are killed and nine others injured when a reckless driving Bus hit them in the capital Dhaka. Students all over the city carried out mass protests demanding punishment of the culprits and to put an end to reckless driving in the country.^[6]
• 22 September - In a massive rally, the newly formed coalition Jatiya Oikya Front, a platform led by Dr Kamal Hossain, issued an ultimatum from the rally for the three-point demand to be met by 30 September. The demands include: 1. Formation of a polls-time neutral government, 2. effective steps for reconstituting the Election Commission, 3. dissolution of parliament before the announcement of the election schedule. Several top leaders of the main opposition party BNP showed their support and shared the stage with Dr Kamal Hossain and his alliance at a citizens' rally in the capital and vowed joint movement to accomplish the three-point demands.^{[7] [8]}
• 10 October - Court verdict against the 2004 grenade attack is given. Top BNP leaders Lutfuzzaman Babar was given the death penalty and Tariqe Rahman was given life term imprisonment. BNP rejected the verdict and carried out protests against it.^[9]
• 30 December - The 2018 Bangladeshi general election were held, with a decisive victory for ruling party Bangladesh Awami League.^[10]

Awards and Recognitions

• Ahmed Zawad Chowdhury won the first Gold medal for Bangladesh in International Mathematical Olympiad.^[11]

Independence Day Award

Eighteen people were awarded.^[12]

Recipients	Area	Note
Quazi Zakir Hasan	independence and liberation war	posthumous
	independence and liberation war	posthumous
	independence and liberation war	posthumous
	independence and liberation war
	independence and liberation war	posthumous
	independence and liberation war	posthumous
	independence and liberation war	posthumous
	independence and liberation war	posthumous
	independence and liberation war	posthumous
	independence and liberation war	posthumous
	independence and liberation war	posthumous
	independence and liberation war
	medicine
	social service
	literature
	food security
	culture
	agricultural journalism

Ekushey Padak

The award was given to 21 persons.^[13]

1. AZM Takiullah (language movement)
2. Mirza Mazharul Islam (language movement)
3. Sheikh Sadi Khan (music)
4. Shujeo Shyam (music)
5. Indra Mohan Rajbongshi (music)
6. Khurshid Alam (music)
7. Motiul Haque Khan (music)
8. Minu Haque (dance)
9. Humayun Faridi (acting)
10. Nikhil Sen (drama)
11. Kalidas Karmakar (fine arts)
12. Golam Mostofa (photography)
13. Ranesh Maitra (journalism)
14. Zulekha Haque (research)
15. Muinul Islam (economics)
16. Ilias Kanchan (social service)
17. Syed Manzoorul Islam (language and literature)
18. Saiful Islam Khan (poet Hayat Saef) (language and literature)
19. Subrata Barua (language and literature)
20. Rabiul Hussain (language and literature)
21. Khalekdad Chowdhury (language and literature)

Sports

• 18 March - Bangladesh lost to India in a closely contested T-20 Cricket Match in the Final of 2018 Nidahas Trophy.
• 6 August - Bangladesh won the 3 match T-20 Cricket series against the defending T-20 Cricket Champions, West indies, 2-1.^[14]
• 8 October - Bangladesh under 18 women's football team won the 2018 SAFF U-18 Women's Championship.^[15]
• 4 November - Bangladesh national under-15 football team won the 2018 SAFF U-15 Championship, defeating Pakistan national under-15 football team in the final.^[16]
• 16 November - Bangladesh ties the two match test cricket series against Zimbabwe, 1-1, after beating Zimbabwe in the 2nd and final test match by a historic 218 runs.^[17]

Deaths

• 5 January – Dhiraj Kumar Nath, diplomat (b. 1945).^[18]
• 16 January – Shammi Akhtar, singer
• 25 January – Shawkat Ali, writer (b. 1936)
• 5 March – Rafiqul Islam, physician (born c.1936).^[19]
• 6 March – Ferdousi Priyabhashini, sculptor (b. 1947)
• 21 March – Noorjahan Kakon Bibi, freedom fighter and secret agent (b. 1915)
• 21 April – Anwara Begum, 83, academic and former First Lady.^[20]
• 24 April – Belal Chowdhury, poet (b. 1938)
• 26 April – Shamsul Islam, politician (b. 1931).^[21]
• 9 May – Mustafa Nur-Ul Islam, academic, National Professor (b. 1927).^[22]
• 22 May –
  • Tazin Ahmed, journalist, actress, playwright, director, and theater person (b 1975).^[23]
  • Hafiz Siddiqi, academic (b. 1931).^[24]
• 26 June – Ahsanullah Montu, footballer (b. 1962).^[25]
• 7 July – Rani Sarker, film actress (b. 1930s).^[26]
• 25 July – Kalparanjan Chakma, politician (b. 1918).^[27]
• 26 July – Mostafa Suja, politician (born c.1950).^[28]
• 18 October - Ayub Bachchu, leading musician (born 1962).^[29]
• 15 December- Amjad Hossain, film actor and director (born 1942).^[30]

See also

• 2010s in Bangladesh
• List of Bangladeshi films of 2018
• Timeline of Bangladeshi history

Notes and References

1. Web site: Tabligh-Jamaat demo halts Dhaka traffic. 10 January 2018. thedailystar.net.
2. Web site: Khaleda lands in jail for corruption. 8 February 2018. thedailystar.net.
3. Web site: Gun attack kills 5 in Rangamati. 5 May 2018. thedailystar.net.
4. Web site: Shooting at Naniarchar: 'Attackers came in 2 groups; target was Tapan'. 6 May 2018. thedailystar.net.
5. Web site: Deadliest day for travellers. 24 June 2018.
6. Web site: Bangladesh protests: How students brought Dhaka to a halt. Sugam Pokharel . Farid Ahmed . Bard Wilkinson. 6 August 2018 . CNN.
7. Web site: Greater unity taking shape. 23 September 2018.
8. Web site: Will Jatiya Oikya Prokriya be a game changer in election 2018?. 24 September 2018.
9. Web site: Grenade attack in 2004 was designed to 'obliterate' Awami League, says judge.
10. Web site: World leaders congratulate Sheikh Hasina. January 2019.
11. News: Jawad wins gold at IMO. Ray. Neil. The Financial Express. 15 July 2018. 16 May 2021.
12. News: 2 more named for Independence Award. 2018-03-20. The Daily Star. 2018-04-13. en.
13. News: 21 named for Ekushey Padak. 2018-02-09. The Daily Star. 2018-02-09. en.
14. Web site: Bangladesh is now able to beat any team in T20s, says Shakib.
15. Web site: Cheers from Changlimithang. 8 October 2018.
16. Web site: Bangladesh defeat Pakistan to win 2018 U15 SAFF Championships | SAMAA.
17. Web site: From a 151-run loss to a 218-run win: Joy or relief?. 16 November 2018.
18. Web site: Former adviser to caretaker government Dhiraj Kumar Nath dies at 73 . bdnews24.com . 7 January 2018 .
19. Web site: Oral saline inventor no more. 6 March 2018.
20. Web site: Ex-president Dr Iajuddin's wife Anwara Begum dies. 22 April 2018.
21. Web site: Former BNP minister M Shamsul Islam dies. 26 April 2018.
22. Web site: Prof Mustafa Nur-Ul Islam passes away. 10 May 2018.
23. Web site: Actress Tazin Ahmed dies of heart attack.
24. Web site: Ex-NSU VC Hafiz GA Siddiqi dies. 22 May 2018.
25. Web site: Former national footballer Montu no more. Former national footballer Montu no more | theindependentbd.com.
26. Web site: Actress Rani Sarkar passes away . 2018-07-20 . 2018-07-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180715080355/http://www.daily-sun.com/post/320457/2018/07/07/Actress-Rani-Sarkar-passes-away . dead .
27. Web site: Former minister Kalparanjan Chakma dies at 100.
28. Web site: Ex-whip Mostafa Suja passes away. The. Independent. 2018-07-28. 2018-07-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20180727085038/http://www.theindependentbd.com/post/159665. dead.
29. Web site: Rock's leading light goes out. 18 October 2018.
30. Web site: Amjad Hossain passes away. 15 December 2018.