After a nine-month war with Pakistan, Bangladesh earned its independence Dec. 16, 1971. Inhabitants of Bangladesh also won the right to have Bangali as their language.

Those who attended the International Forum Wednesday learned the history, culture and facts about Bangladesh. Umme Al-Wazedi, a graduate student with a major in English, and Saifur Bhuiyan, a junior computer management major, gave the presentation.

The country’s flag, a red circle in the center with a green background, symbolizes two entities. The red circle is for the blood shed by the Freedom Fighters in the 1971 war, and the green symbolizes the grass of the country, Bhuiyan said.

Bangladesh shares borders with India and the Bay of Bengal. Big rivers divide Bangladesh and this causes flooding at least once a year. Cyclones also contribute to flooding, Bhuiyan said.

Bangladesh is famous for its Royal Bengal tiger, found in the south part of the country. The shapla, a bright red water flower, is the national flower of Bangladesh. Children love to play a sport called cricket, Bhuiyan said.

Islam is the major religion of Bangladesh; 82 percent of the country is Muslim. The Hindu population ranks second with 12 percent, and Christianity and Roman Catholicism account for 1 percent of the population.

Al-Wazedi talked about the political history and the role of women in Bangladesh. In 1952, the people of Bangladesh had a language movement to establish a unique language from Pakistan.

In 1969, the people of Bangladesh held an election for a provincial government in order to have a separate government from Pakistan. Although they won their independence in 1971, the people of Bangladesh have dealt with turmoil in their government.

The prime minister of Bangladesh was assassinated in 1974, and the person who took over was assassinated in 1984, Al-Wazedi said.

The role of women has improved since 1971, Al-Wazedi said. Thirty years ago, the majority of women were “village” women, meaning they cooked, sewed, helped their husbands with the harvest and had little education.

“Now, we have housewives, students and professional women,” Al-Wazedi said.

Housewives normally go to college and work in daycare centers, students don’t have to worry about anything other than their studies, and professional women are housewives and career women.

“They (professional women) manage everything,” Al-Wazedi said.

The current prime minister of Bangladesh is a woman.

Al-Wazedi wants to teach English in Bangladesh when she graduates. Bhuiyan also wants to teach in Bangladesh and change the way college is there.

“Each class has 200 to 300 students, and each year, students have to pass an exam to be able to take a class,” Bhuiyan said.