“Political System of

Bangladesh”
Presentation by:
MD Jabed Murshed
WSB University
International Relations

10/05/2019
Overview:
Region: Asia
Joined Commonwealth: 1972
Population: 163 million (2016)
GDP: US$221.4 billion (2016)
UN HDI: World ranking 139
Official language: Bangla
Timezone: GMT plus 6hr
Currency: Taka (Tk)
Geography
Area: 143,998 sq km
Coastline: 580 km
Capital city: Dhaka
Population density (per sq. km): 1,252

The People’s Republic of Bangladesh is a fertile and densely

populated delta country in southern Asia bordered by the Bay of
Bengal, India and Myanmar (formerly Burma).
Main towns:
Dhaka (capital, pop. 8.5m in 2017), Chittagong (3.9m),
Narayanganj (1.63m), Khulna (1. 3m), Rajshahi (763,952), Sylhet
(479,837), Tungi (476,350), Comilla (407,901), Mymensingh
(389,918), Bogra (350,397), Rangpur (328,777), Barisal
(328,278), Jessore (253,019), Dinajpur (191,329), Pabna
(190,317), Nawabganj (180,731), Brahman Baria (172,017) and
Narsingdi (146,115).
International relations:
Bangladesh is a member of the Indian Ocean Rim Association,
Non-Aligned Movement, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation,
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, United
Nations and World Trade Organization.
 Bangladesh : Constitution and politics
Constitution
Status: Republic
Legislature: Jatiya Sangsad
Independence: 1971
Bangladesh is a republic with a non-executive President. Under the Twelfth Constitutional
Amendment (1991) there is a parliamentary system. The unicameral parliament (Jatiya Sangsad)
comprises 300 directly elected members from geographical constituencies for five-year terms, plus 50
seats reserved for women nominated by political parties – based on their share of the elected seats –
and then voted on by sitting lawmakers. The allocation of seats reserved for women was provided by
the Fourteenth Constitutional Amendment (2004). One parliamentary candidate can stand in up to
three constituencies. If a candidate wins in more than one constituency a by-election or by-elections
are called. Parliament may sit no longer than five years. Constitutional amendments require a
two-thirds majority of parliament.
Executive power is with the Prime Minister, who heads a council of ministers (the cabinet),
and whose advice is necessary for all presidential acts. The head of state is the President who is
elected by the national parliament for a five-year term. The presidency is a largely ceremonial
role, although the President appoints members of the cabinet and the judiciary and has the power
to dissolve parliament.

The Thirteenth Constitutional Amendment (1996) required a nonpartisan caretaker administration

to oversee the election process. However, following a Supreme Court judgment in May 2011
which had found it to be illegal, on 30 June 2011 the Jatiya Sangsad repealed the Thirteenth
Amendment.

In November 2007 the caretaker government declared the independence of the judiciary from the
executive, following a directive issued by the Supreme Court in December 1999 – in accordance
with Article 22 of the Constitution of Bangladesh. Previous elected governments of the
Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Awami League had effectively filibustered implementing the
directive.
Bangladesh experienced a number of military coups after achieving independence in
1971, and several military governments tried to restrict activities of political parties.
However, after the return to civil rule in 1990, all political parties may openly function in
the country. There are a number of political organizations in Bangladesh. Most
prominent of them are: the Awami League (a coalition of 8 parties); the Bangladesh
Nationalist Party; the Jatiya Party; and the Jamaat-e-Islami Party. The Awami
League (AL), generally supports more government interventionist policies and has a
very cautious attitude towards liberalization or opening of the national economy to
international competition; in fact, in the early 1970s the party had strong pro-socialist
elements in its economic policy. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which was
the ruling party from 1991 until its defeat in the parliamentary election of 1996, is more
free-market oriented. The BNP introduced the policy of economic liberalization and
privatized some state-owned enterprises. It opened the national economy to
international competition in an attempt to attract foreign investors.
Once Bangladesh had achieved independence, political stability, the creation of a
viable national economy, and the elimination of poverty became the major
political issues shaping political debate and conflict in the state. The political
process in the country was complicated by the hostility and often violent confrontations
between the 2 leading parties, AL and BNP. The Awami League won the first
post-independence general elections while promulgating ideas of nationalism,
socialism, democracy and secularism. In economic areas, this government took a
strongly interventionist role in the development and industrialization of the national
economy. The party, however, could not overcome the economic and political divisions
within Bangladeshi society and lost its power in a military coup in August 1975. The
coup pushed the country towards even greater political instability, which continued until
1990, when charismatic General Hossain Mohammad Ershad was forced to resign.
Military rule failed to bring stability to the country because it did not stop the rivalry
between the 2 major parties, the AL and BNP. In fact, the army was drawn into the
groups' political confrontations.
Foreign Policy of Bangladesh
consists of self-interest strategies
chosen by the Constitution of the
country to safeguard its national
interests and to achieve goals
within its international relations
milieu. The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs formulates and executes
the policies according to the
guidance from the relevant
section of the Constitution of
Bangladesh.
LAW:
Bangladesh is part of the common law jurisdiction. It is a member of the Commonwealth of
Nations. The legal system of Bangladesh has its roots in the laws of British India. Since
independence in 1971, statutory law enacted by the Parliament of Bangladesh has been the
primary form of legislation. Judge made law continues to be significant in areas such as
constitutional law. Unlike in other common law countries, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh has
the power to not only interpret laws made by the parliament, but to also declare them null and
void and to enforce fundamental rights of the citizens.The Bangladesh Code includes a
compilation of all laws since 1836. The vast majority of Bangladeshi laws are in English. But most
laws adopted after 1987 are in Bengali. Family law is intertwined with religious law. Bangladesh
has significant international law obligations.
During periods of martial law in the 1970s and 1980s, proclamations and ordinances
were issued as laws. In 2010, the Supreme Court declared that martial law was illegal,
which led to a re-enactment of some laws by parliament. A Right to Information Act has
been enacted. Several of Bangladesh's laws are controversial, archaic or in violation of
the country's own constitution. They include the country's special powers act,
blasphemy law, sedition law, internet regulation law, NGO law, media regulation law,
military justice and aspects of its property law. Many colonial laws require
modernization.
According to the World Justice Project, Bangladesh ranked 103rd out of 113 countries
in an index of the rule of law in 2016
International organization participation:

ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CD, CICA (observer), CP, D-8, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA,
MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN,
UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI,
UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh

Assumed office
6 January 2009
She is the longest serving prime minister in the
history of Bangladesh.She is the daughter of
Bangladesh's first President Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman.
Hasina is considered one of the most powerful
women in the world, ranking 26th on Forbes'
list of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women
in 2018
Sheikh Hasina has also made her room in the
list of top 100 Global Thinkers of the present
decade as the famous US-based Foreign
Policy journal came up with a register of
worldwide thinkers.
She is a member of the Council of Women
World Leaders, an International network of
current and former women presidents and
prime ministers.

The Hon Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister

President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh

The Honourable His Excellency Mr. MD Abdul Hamid

(since 20 March 2013)
Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament)

The Honourable Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury is the current and the first woman
Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad since April 2013
Chief Justice of Bangladesh

Syed Mahmud Hossain 22nd and current Chief Justice of Bangladesh

Assumed office 2 February 2018

 THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ATTENTION.

SOURCES:
http://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/bangladesh/constitution-politics
https://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Asia-and-the-Pacific/Bangladesh-POLITICS-GOVERNMENT
-AND-TAXATION.html
https://pmo.gov.bd
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bangladeshi_Passport_prohibits_to_travel_to_Israel.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laws_in_Bangladesh
https://www.indexmundi.com/bangladesh/international_organization_participation.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Bangladesh
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Bangladesh
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirin_Sharmin_Chaudhury
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Mahmud_Hossain