Ban·gla·desh [ bng glə désh, bàng glə désh ]country in south central Asia, formerly part of India and then, from 1947 to 1971, Pakistan. It became a separate nation following a civil war in 1971 and became an independent member of the British Commonwealth in 1972. Languages: Bangla. Currency: taka. Capital: Dhaka. Population: 156,050,880 (2009 estimate).
Area: 147,570 sq km (56,977 sq mi) Official name People's Republic of Bangladesh
