1998 in Bangladesh

The year 1998 was the 27th year after the independence of Bangladesh. It was also the third year of the first term of the Government of Sheikh Hasina.

Incumbents

• President: Shahabuddin Ahmed
• Prime Minister: Sheikh Hasina
• Chief Justice: A.T.M Afzal

Demography

Climate

Flood

From July to September 1998, Bangladesh suffered extensive flooding. Over 75% of the total area of the country was flooded, including half of Dhaka. It was similar to the catastrophic flood of 1988, in terms of the extent of the flooding. A combination of heavy rainfall within and outside the country and synchronisation of peak flows of the major rivers contributed to the flood. 30 million people were made homeless and the death toll reached over a thousand. The flooding caused contamination of crops and animals and unclean water resulted in cholera and typhoid outbreaks. Few hospitals were functional because of damage from the flooding, and those that were open had too many patients, resulting in everyday injuries becoming fatal due to lack of treatment. 700,000 hectares of crops were destroyed,

Economy

Note: For the year 1998 average official exchange rate for BDT was 46.91 per US$.

Events

• 18 August – Anwar Hossain Kamal, Khulna leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League was gunned down in Khalishpur.
• 23 June – Bangabandhu Bridge, the longest multipurpose bridge in Bangladesh, is inaugurated by the prime minister.
• 18 October – Wahiduzzaman Chanchal, Vice-President of Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chatra Dal, was gunned down in Khulna.
• 8 November – U.S. and now defunct energy company Unocal sign an agreement with Petrobangla to develop the country's largest gas field.
• 3 November – Khulna City leader of Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Jubo Dal, Babul, was shot dead.
• 28 November – Floods devastate rice fields, pushing Bangladesh's annual food shortfall to 4.3 million tons. Over 1000 people reportedly died in the floods.

Awards and Recognitions

Independence Day Award

Ekushey Padak

1. Ranesh Das Gupta (literature)
2. Akhtaruzzaman Ilias (literature)
3. Rokanuzzaman Khan (journalism)
4. Abul Kashem Sandwip (journalism)
5. Ferdousi Mazumder (drama)
6. Mahbuba Rahman (music)

Sports

• Asian Games:
• Bangladesh participates in the 1998 Asian Games, held from 6 to 20 December 1998 in Bangkok, Thailand. The men's Kabbadi team won bronze medal in the respective event in the tournament.
• Cricket:
• Bangladesh hosts the 1998 ICC KnockOut Tournament (officially known as Wills International Cup). It is the first tournament apart from the World Cups to involve all test playing nations. South Africa defeated the West Indies in the final to win the event.
• In November, the West Indies A team visits Bangladesh and plays three List A matches against Bangladesh. Starting on 12 November the two teams play the first-ever first-class match in Bangladesh (i.e., since independence). West Indies A win by 8 wickets.

Births

• 16 January – Masuk Mia Jony, footballer
• 1 February – Zakir Hasan, cricketer
• 22 February – Jaker Ali, cricketer
• 22 May – Munim Shahriar, cricketer
• 25 May – Nazmul Hossain Shanto, cricketer
• 10 September – Hossain Ali, cricketer
• 11 September – Robiul Islam, cricketer
• 7 October – Yasir Arafat Mishu, cricketer
• 15 October – Mosabbek Hossain, cricketer
• 30 October – Saif Hassan, cricketer
• 12 December – Towhid Hridoy, cricketer

Deaths

• 26 January – Muhammad Sohrab Hossain, politician (b. 1922)
• 14 February – Badrul Haider Chowdhury, Chief Justice of Bangladesh (b. 1925)
• 14 May – Shawkat Osman, writer (b. 1917)
• 1 June – Brojen Das, swimmer (b. 1927)
• 12 August – Gazi Shamsur Rahman, lawyer, writer, translator, columnist and television personality (b. 1921).
• 8 October – Jashim, film actor (b. 1950)
• 30 November – Abdullah-Al-Muti, educationist (b. 1930)

See also

• 1990s in Bangladesh
• List of Bangladeshi films of 1998
• Timeline of Bangladeshi history

References