Bangladesh's booming middle class

Bangladesh's business booms as nations from Europe to Asia struggle with the global economic crisis.

The middle class's appetite for consumption in this Asian country is boosting the country's economy. Statistics show that 30 million people make up the middle income bracket; this is more than the population of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark combined.

Atiur Rahman, the governer of the Bangladesh Bank, told Al Jazeera, "In a decade or so we will be one of the 30 largest economies of the world, and one should keep that in mind. It is not the size of the country that matters, it's the population and it's a very entrepreneurial population, and there lies our strength."

Despite only one per cent direct foreign investment, the country's GDP is growing at the rate of six per cent a year. The rising middle class is investing heavily in the stock market and in domestic businesses. It is they who are behind the economic growth.

Al Jazeera's Nicolas Haque reports from Dhaka.

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[TheLolthazun]

I was in a Bangladeshi takeaway, I asked if he could give me a brief history of this country and it's very nice to see that it's now expanding and growing quickly.

[karenbcz22]

While America goes DOWN, the East goes up.

Ain't outsourcing just grand!!?

[TheZozoos]

Bangladesh is a beautiful country of great bengali people... love from India..

[ChocIced]

@shussey100 google 'bangladesh population growth' you'll notice it's fallen drastically as has fertility rates. Population growth is no longer an issue.

[shussey100]

The population explosion will implode the country. The economy can hardly keep up with this rate. How will they cope. So many people on such small land.

[royal888]

I don’t normally comment but it seems most of the comments posted here are by uneducated people or young kids with no idea of economics.

[royal888]

Bangladesh will have a population of 265,432 Million by 2050, it’s a really poor country, and needs all the help it can get, with increasing water levels, Bangladesh will be in even greater dire situation.