Some key dates in the history of Bangladesh:

1947 - British colonial rule over India ends. A largely Muslim state comprising East and West Pakistan is established, either side of India. The two provinces are separated from each other by more than 1,500 km of Indian territory.
1971 - Independence after a nine-month war, with India backing the Bengali nationalists against Pakistan.
1973 - First parliamentary elections give the Awami League a landslide victory.
1975 - A military coup sees founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members killed, putting an end to civilian rule.
1979 - Second parliamentary elections brings former army chief Ziaur Rahman's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to power.
1981 - Ziaur Rahman assassinated during abortive military coup.
1982 - General Ershad assumes power in army coup. He suspends the constitution and political parties.
1991 - Fifth parliamentary elections, brings the BNP under Zia's widow, Khaleda Zia, back to power. The country returns to a parliamentary system of government.