Algeria was the first Arab country to recognize Bangladesh in 1971 when it gained independence. In these times, a remarkable friendship developed between late Algerian President Haouari Boumediene and the late President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the Nation.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman stayed in Algeria in 1973 during the Non-Aligned Summit where he delivered a speech.
During the OIC Summit, held in Lahore, in 1974, the late President Haouari Boumedienne made a special plane available to Bangabandhu.
The legal framework for bilateral cooperation currently consists of three agreements:
1- 1976 trade agreement;
2- Cultural agreement of 1981:
3- Scientific and technical agreement of 1981.
This legal framework is expected to expand in the coming years.
As for economic and trade exchanges between the two countries, they are currently very limited.
Analysis of CNIS data, relating to trade between the two countries, shows that the trade balance, during the years 2017 and 2018, recorded a negative result for Algeria, as shown in the table below:
| Designation | 2017 | 2018 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imports in USD | 24 637 933 | 24 835 892 | 49 473 825 |
| Export in USD | 1 205 735 | 1 021 286 | 2 227 039 |
| Trade balance | -23 432 180 | – 23 814 606 | – 47 246 786 |
The Algerian Embassy in Bangladesh officially reopened its services in Dhaka on February 3, 2020.
Presentation of Bangladesh:
General data
Official name: People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
Area: 147,570 km²
Population (2018): 164.6 M. hab
Capital: Dhaka (approx. 14.2 M hab.(approx.))
Main cities: Chittagong (7.6M), Khulna (2.3M).
Official languages: Bengali (or bangla) and English
Regional languages: Chittagonian, Sylheti, Rangpuri etc
Currency: Taka (€ 1 = approx. 100 takas in 2018).
National holiday: March 26 (Independence Day) December 16 (Victory Day).
Demographic data
Population growth (2020): + 1.33% per year.
Life expectancy at birth (2018): 72.3 years (70.8 for men and 73.8 for women)
Literacy rate (2018): 73.2%
Ethnic composition: Bengalis (98%), Jumma peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (Chakmas, Marmas, approx. 500,000), approx. 250,000 Biharis (Urdu- speaking, they are Muslim Indians who chose to emigrate to Pakistan after 1947), 100,000 Garos, 1,000,000 Rohingya refugees in the extreme south- east, from Burma (mostly living in a refugee camp),
Religions (2011): Islam (90.39%), Hinduism (8.54%), Buddhism (0.60%),
Christianity (0.37%), Others (0.14%).
Human Development Index (2020, UNDP): 0.614 (135th rank).
Economic data
For the understanding of the following figures, the Bangladeshi fiscal year is from July to June.
GDP: 300.37 Billion USD (2018-19)
GDP / capita. (Current prices): 1,828 USD (2018-19)
GDP growth rate: 8.2% (2018-19)
Unemployment rate: 4.2 (2018-19)
Inflation rate (2018-19): 5.48%
Share of main sectors of activity in GDP (2018-19):
Agriculture: 13.65%
Industry and construction: 35%
Services: 51.35%
