This paper reviews the literature and presents a bibliography on the situation of people with mental retardation in Bangladesh. It begins with a review of the history of mental retardation in East Bengal, India (now Bangladesh) from the 1770s onwards but focuses on the development of disability information and formal services since the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. A listing of 20 disability surveys conducted in the region since 1961 is provided. It stresses, however, the very modest amount of information available on the lives of Bangladeshis with mental retardation in both rural and urban areas. Currently, children with mental retardation are either casually integrated in ordinary schools, in planned mainstreaming programs, in special schools, or in home teaching programs. A special need is seen for research on the lives, thoughts, and practices of families with a mentally retarded member. The bibliography is in three sections: Section 1 includes 80 items on mental retardation and childhood disabilities in Bangladesh; Section 2 includes 35 items on other relevant material such as child rearing, rural women, and primary education in Bangladesh; and Section 3 provides 72 historical references on mental retardation in East Bengal 1771-1971. (Contains 187 references.) (Author/DB)