ABSTRACT
Bangladesh is a low-lying flood plain in the northeast of the South Asian subcontinent, with innumerable rivers, tributaries, distributaries, streams and creeks criss-crossing its small, deltaic territory of about 144,000km2. It is a Least Developed Country (LDC), with all the implications that are associated with this status, although it is now showing several positive signs that have the potential to take it out of the poverty trap and is gaining in international profile. Although services and industries sectors are growing, agriculture remains the mainstay of the country’s economy. While it has achieved remarkable success in population control, the aggregate number is still staggering and that builds up pressure to increase food production and ensure adequate protein supplies. Irrigation facilities and fish production thus need to increase considerably.
