nation formed 1971 from former East Pakistan, from Bengali for "Bengali country," from Bangla "Bengali" (see Bengal) + desh "country." Related: Bangladeshi.
Entries linking to bangladesh
Bengal
region in South Asia, named for its people, said to be from Banga, name of a founding chief. It is attested in Europe as far back as Marco Polo (1298), who wrote of Bangala. Related: Bengali; Bengalese.