The year 1979 was the 8th year after the independence of Bangladesh. It was also the third year of the Government of Ziaur Rahman. This year martial law is lifted following elections, which Zia's Bangladesh National Party (BNP) wins.
Incumbents
President: Ziaur Rahman Prime Minister: Mashiur Rahman (until 12 March), Shah Azizur Rahman (starting 15 April) Vice President: Abdus Sattar Chief Justice: Kemaluddin Hossain
Demography + Demographic Indicators for Bangladesh in 1979 Population, total77,529,040 Population density (per km2)595.6 Population growth (annual %)2.7% Male to Female Ratio (every 100 Female)106.2 Urban population (% of total)13.7% Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people)43.5 Death rate, crude (per 1,000 people)14.9 Mortality rate, under 5 (per 1,000 live births)203 Life expectancy at birth, total (years)52.3 Fertility rate, total (births per woman)6.5
Climate
Economy + Key Economic Indicators for Bangladesh in 1979 National Income Current US$ Current BDT % of GDP GDP $15.6 billion BDT236.9 billion GDP growth (annual %) 4.8% GDP per capita $200.8 BDT3,056 Agriculture, value added $8.2 billion BDT124.3 billion 52.5% Industry, value added $2.4 billion BDT37.2 billion 15.7% Services, etc., value added $5.0 billion BDT75.5 billion 31.9% Balance of Payment Current US$ Current BDT % of GDP Current account balance -$415.9 million -2.7% Imports of goods and services $2,098.0 million BDT37.4 billion 15.8% Exports of goods and services $788.2 million BDT14.5 billion 6.1% Foreign direct investment, net inflows -$8.0 million -0.1% Personal remittances, received $171.1 million 1.1% Total reserves (includes gold) at year end $413.6 million Note: For the year 1979 average official exchange rate for BDT was 15.55 per US$.
Events
26 January – Near Chuadanga, a train derails and overturns, killing at least 70 and injuring at least 300. 18 February – Second National Parliamentary Elections were held. The result was a victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which won 207 of the 300 seats. 6 April – The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of Bangladesh was passed by the Jatiya Sangsad. This Act amended the Fourth Schedule to the constitution by adding a new paragraph 18 thereto, which provided that all amendments, additions, modifications, substitutions and omissions made in the constitution during the period between 15 August 1975 and 9 April 1979 (both days inclusive) by any Proclamation or Proclamation Order of the Martial Law Authorities had been validly made and would not be called in question in or before any court or tribunal or authority on any ground whatsoever. 7 April – Bangladesh started the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) to reduce child deaths from vaccine preventable diseases.
Awards and Recognitions
Independence Day Award Recipients Area NoteAbul Mansur Ahmed literature posthumousDr. Qazi Motahar Hossain science and technology Dr. Muzaffar Ahmed Choudhury education posthumous Firoza Begum music Samar Das music Phuljhuri Khan music Quamrul Hassan arts Designed the Flag of Bangladesh Tahera Kabir social welfare Nur Mohammad Mandal population control
Ekushey Padak Azizur Rahman (literature) Benajir Ahmed (literature) Abdul Latif (music) Sheikh Luthfur Rahman (music) Abdul Wahab (journalism) Mohammad Modabber (journalism) Muhammad Enamul Haque (education)
Sports Domestic football: Team BJMC won 1979 Dhaka First Division League title, while Abahani KC came out runners-up.
Births Kazi Sharmin Nahid Nupur also known by stage name Shabnur, film actress Sadika Parvin Popy, film actress Anila Naz Chowdhury, singer
Deaths 3 April – Syed Mahbub Murshed, lawyer and jurist (b. 1911) 27 June – Bande Ali Mia, poet (b. 1906)
See also 1970s in Bangladesh List of Bangladeshi films of 1979 Timeline of Bangladeshi history
References