Constitution of Bangladesh

Constitution of Bangladesh
First page of the original Constitution of Bangladesh in Bangla
Overview
Jurisdiction Bangladesh
Ratified4 November 1972; 52 years ago (1972-11-04)
Date effective16 December 1972; 51 years ago (1972-12-16)
SystemUnitary Parliamentary Constitutional Republic
Government structure
BranchesThree (Executive, Legislature and Judiciary)
ChambersOne
ExecutivePrime Minister and cabinet responsible to the Jatiya Sangsad
JudiciarySupreme Court
FederalismNo
Electoral collegeNo
History
Amendments17
Last amended8 July 2018
LocationDhaka, Bangladesh
Author(s)Dr Kamal Hossain
Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee and other members of Constituent Assembly
Signatories404 members of the Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh
SupersedesProclamation of Bangladeshi Independence
Full text
Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh at Wikisource
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The Constitution of Bangladesh[a] is the supreme law of Bangladesh. Adopted by the 'controversial'[1][2][3] and virtually "one-party"[4] Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh on 4 November 1972, it came into effect on 16 December 1972. The Constitution establishes Bangladesh as a unitary parliamentary republic. Directly borrowing from the four tenets of Mujibism, the political ideology of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,[5] the constitution states nationalism, socialism, democracy and secularism as its four fundamental principles.[6]

While the Constitution nominally declares the protection of fundamental rights and an independent judiciary, it has been often labelled as "fascist"[7][8] and criticized for fostering autocracy[9] and failing to safeguard human rights. The Fundamental Principles of State Policy in Part II are often described as empty rhetoric[10] due to their unjusticiability, while Fundamental Rights in Part III are constrained by extensive, imposable restrictions. Loopholes in the guise of poorly-defined 'restrictions' in rights provisions[11] have enabled the continued enforcement of the repressive sections of British colonial laws such as the Penal Code of 1860 and the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1898, and facilitated the enactment of later repressive laws such as the Special Powers Act of 1974, and the Cyber Security Act of 2023.[12]

Part IV vests the executive power of the government in the prime minister-led Cabinet, which is accountable to Parliament.[13] This structure seems democratic but, in practice, results in a concentration of authority in the hands of the prime minister due to the dominant position within the Cabinet and the control over MPs through party discipline and party-loyalty enforcing provision Article 70.[13] Part IV further solidifies the prime minister’s control by granting them authority over Cabinet affairs, overshadowing other ministers and centralizing executive decisions.[14]

The Constitution has undergone 17 amendments, reflecting its susceptibility to political pressures over its pledge to ensure justice, equality, and liberty.[15] Considering the unlimited powers granted to the prime minister and the people's limited civil rights, Badruddin Umar has famously termed it "A Constitution for Perpetual Emergency."[16][1][17][18]

The interim government of Bangladesh, led by Muhammad Yunus, has established the Constitutional Reform Commission in 2024 with the aim of reforming or drafting and adopting a new inclusive democratic constitution through an elected constituent assembly.[19][20][21][22][23] The commission was formed in the aftermath of a constitutional crisis that arose following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina on 5 August 2024, during a massive mass uprising.


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  1. ^ a b Ahmed, Firoz (May 2015). Muhammad, Anu (ed.). "বাংলাদেশের সংবিধান ও রাষ্ট্রের গতিমুখ: সূচনাকাল" [The Constitution of Bangladesh and the Trajectory of the State: The Early Years] (PDF). Sarbojonkotha: 86–98. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 May 2024.
  2. ^ Mazhar, Farhad (2023). "গঠন ও গঠনতন্ত্র". গণঅভ্যুত্থান ও গঠন: বাংলাদেশে গণরাজনৈতিক ধারার বিকাশ প্রসঙ্গে [Mass Uprising and Constitution: On the Development of People's Political Consciousness in Bangladesh] (in Bengali). Dhaka: Rastrochinta (published August 2023). pp. 148–180. ISBN 978-984-97818-0-6.
  3. ^ Umar, Badruddin (2019). "আর্থ-সামাজিক-রাজনৈতিক পরিবর্তনের ধারা". In Ahmad, Ahrar (ed.). সমাজ রাষ্ট্র বিবর্তন: জ্ঞানতাপস আব্দুর রাজ্জাক গুণিজন বক্তৃতামালা (২০১৭-২০১৮) (in Bengali). Dhaka: Bengal Publications. pp. 156–182. ISBN 978-984-93718-7-8.
  4. ^ Huq, Abul Fazl (1973). "Constitution-Making in Bangladesh". Pacific Affairs. 46 (1): 59–76. doi:10.2307/2756227. ISSN 0030-851X. JSTOR 2756227 – via JSTOR. [T]he Constituent Assembly was virtually a one-party house. Only three MCA's [out of 404 members] played the role of the opposition. Though the assembly was not allowed to act as a parliament, the party-whip was rigidly exercised. The members of the Awami League were allowed to move only amendments approved in the parliamentary party meetings. Moreover, the Constituent Assembly Order (cessation of membership) was a very effective device in maintaining party discipline. All members of the party spoke strongly in favour of the bill, each endorsing the thesis of the party.
  5. ^ Islam, Rumana (18 August 2023). "Bangabandhu and our four Founding Principles". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 24 October 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  6. ^ "The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh". Laws of Bangladesh. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Interview: Situation In Bangladesh Challenging, But Happy That A Fascist Rule Has Ended, Cultural Icon Farhad Mazhar To ETV Bharat". ETV Bharat News. 7 August 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  8. ^ "আ.লীগের নেতৃত্বে সাংবিধানিক ফ্যাসিবাদী শাসন চলছে" [A constitutional fascist rule is ongoing under the leadership of the Awami League]. Samakal (in Bengali). 31 January 2022. Archived from the original on 24 October 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  9. ^ "Constitution needs rewriting to bar autocracy". The Daily Star. 16 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  10. ^ Khan, Salimullah (14 October 2024). Talk Show Front Line | ফ্রন্টলাইন | Matiur Rahman Chowdhury | Salimullah Khan | Nurul Kabir. Retrieved 23 October 2024 – via YouTube.
  11. ^ Bhuiyan, Azhar Uddin (2023). "Restrictions on the Constitutional Fundamental Rights in Bangladesh: Wednesbury Unreasonableness and Proportionality". In Islam, M Rafiqul; Haque, Muhammad Ekramul (eds.). The Constitutional Law of Bangladesh: Progression and Transformation at its 50th Anniversary. Singapore: Springer. pp. 197–212. ISBN 978-981-99-2578-0.
  12. ^ Khair, Sumaiya (2023). "Constitutionalisation of Good Governance and Human Rights: Where Does Bangladesh Stand at Fifty Years?". In Islam; Haque, Muhammad Ekramul (eds.). The Constitutional Law of Bangladesh: Progression and Transformation at its 50th Anniversary. Singapore: Springer. pp. 148–149. ISBN 978-981-99-2578-0.
  13. ^ a b RAHAMAN MM. Parliament and Good Governance: A Bangladeshi Perspective. Japanese Journal of Political Science. 2008;9(1):39-62. doi:10.1017/S1468109907002812
  14. ^ Haque, Amdadul. "Powers of the Prime Minister in Bangladesh: A Critical Study" (PDF). Social Change. ISSN 1997-938X. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 June 2024.
  15. ^ Ali, Riaz (2023). "Constitutionalism Interrupted or Constitutionalism Absent? The Divergence of Constitution and Politics in Bangladesh". In Hoque, Ridwanul; Chowdhury, Rokeya (eds.). A History of the Constitution of Bangladesh: The Founding, Development, and Way Ahead. New York: Routledge (published 1 September 2023). ISBN 9781032233291.
  16. ^ Badruddin Umar: Politics and Society in Bangladesh, Subarna, Dhaka, 1987
  17. ^ Mahfuz, Ali (13 December 2012). "বাহাত্তরের সংবিধান অগণতান্ত্রিক, সাম্প্রদায়িক, জাতিবিদ্বেষী, একনায়কতান্ত্রিক : প্রয়োজন জনগণের গণতান্ত্রিক সংবিধান প্রতিষ্ঠা" [The 1972 Constitution is undemocratic, communal, racist, and autocratic: What we need is the establishment of a democratic constitution for the people]. Bangarashtra: Voice of the Secularist Bengal and Bengali Nation. Archived from the original on 23 October 2024. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  18. ^ Jahan, Rounaq (1973). "Bangladesh in 1972: Nation Building in a New State". Asian Survey. 13 (2): 199–210. doi:10.2307/2642736. ISSN 0004-4687. JSTOR 2642736.
  19. ^ "Prominent Scholar Ali Riaz Appointed Head of Bangladesh Constitutional Reform Commission | Law-Order". Devdiscourse. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  20. ^ "Constituent assembly to be convened for charter reform: Nahid". Archived from the original on 24 September 2024.
  21. ^ "Transitional admin in Bangladesh forms 'reform' bodies with no polls in sight". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  22. ^ "Ali Riaz to lead commission on constitutional reforms". The Daily Star. 19 September 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  23. ^ "Ali Riaz, not Shahdeen Malik, to lead reform commission on Constitution". The Business Standard. 18 September 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2024.