Einleitung

Bangladesh, a country in South Asia, lies in the delta of the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers in the north-eastern part of the Indian subcontinent. It has a territory of about 147,570 square kilometres (Bandladesh Bureau of Statistics, 2020). The Peoples' Republic of Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation on 16 December 1972, following victory at a nine-month-long Liberation War.
Bangladesh is a democratic and secular state with rich history and cultural heritage. It is home to diverse groups whose various identities present unique needs, vulnerabilities, obstacles, opportunities, and priorities. In many cases, they include women, elderly, children, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, transgender people, geographically vulnerable, and different castes, among others. Lifestyles vary based on socio-cultural status - rural, urban, or tribal. There are 68,000 villages and 80% of the population still live in rural areas. People migrate from rural areas to urban areas primarily for two reasons: advancement in education and better employment opportunities. Usually, those who migrate to the urban areas are the educated ones; over time, they settle there.
Economically, Bangladesh is predominantly agrarian. The Bangladesh ready-made and textile industry is the number one foreign currency-earning sector and employs more than five million workers, of which 85% are women. Other key sectors include pharmaceuticals, shipbuilding, ceramics, leather goods, and electronics. Despite the economic growth, poverty remains to be the single most important socio-economic challenge for Bangladesh. Nonetheless, as a resilient nation used to fighting natural calamities and internal political conflicts, Bangladesh continues to pursue development of its resources.
The population of Bangladesh was estimated by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (2020) at 167.47 million in 2019. As one of the most populated countries in the world, its population density stands at 1,015 per square kilometre. Women constitute about 49.42% of its population. At present, the average life expectancy for females is 74.4 years and 71.1 years for males. Approcimately, 90% of the population are Muslims, 8,5% are Hindus, and the rest are Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, and believers of other religions.