Jatiyo Sangshad
Encyclopedia
Jatiya Sangsad or National Assembly is the national parliament of Bangladesh
. The current parliament of Bangladesh contains 345 seats including 45 women reserved seats distributed on elected party position in the parliament, the occupants of which are called Members of Parliament or MPs. The last 9th National Parliamentary Election was held on December 29, 2008 and, under normal conditions, elections are called every five years.
The leader of the party (or alliance of parties) holding the majority of seats is the Prime Minister of Bangladesh
, and so the head of the government. The President of Bangladesh
, who is the ceremonial head of state
, is chosen by Parliament.
The parliament itself is housed in the Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban
(জাতীয় সংসদ ভবন Jatio Shôngshod Bhôbon) designed by Louis Kahn
.
The current majority
party is the Bangladesh Awami League
.
makes membership open to any citizen of Bangladesh and only Bangladesh (dual citizenship is open for civilians, but not MPs) above the age of 25. Members are elected by direct polls in their respective constituencies, and whoever wins the most vote, regardless of turnout or proportion, wins. Members are elected for a tenure of 5 years; the entire Parliament dissolves 5 years after the swear-in. Members can be re-elected indefinitely, and can be independent or contest through a political party.
Members must not have served time in prison for more than 2 years to be eligible, unless they served this period 5 years prior to the elections.
Article 67 states that members absent without leave for 90 consecutive sitting days will lose their membership. Any ambiguity regarding membership will be resolved by the Bangladesh Election Commission
, and attending sessions without membership (even if memberships are cancelled in retrospect) amounts to a BDT
1,000 ($14) fine per day, per Article 69.
makes floor crossing illegal, and members engaging in floor crossing loses their membership.
Floor crossing is described in the Constitution as:
The only case of floor crossing in Bangladesh was when majority members M A Mannan and Mahi B. Chowdhury
defected to form a new party Bikolpo Dhara. Fresh by-elections were held soon after the seats were vacated; Mahi B. Chowdhury
retained his seat under the new party, whereas Mannan failed.
The ban on floor crossing stunts the members from speaking out against bad policies pitched by their party. This is considered harmful for parliamentary democracy, as the ban forces members to agree with their party leaders regardless of their own opinions or the opinions of their constituents.
It is usually the custom for prominent politicians, especially party leaders. During the last election Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina
, prominent AL figure (and current President of Bangladesh
) Zillur Rahman
, BNP leader Khaleda Zia
and Jatiya Party leader H M Ershad all were candidates in the maximum possible number of constituencies.
appoints a cabinet with the Prime Minister
and other ministers from among the Members. The Prime Minister must be a parliamentarian, and so must at least 90% of the Ministers. The President must appoint a Prime Minister who, in his opinion, commands the confidence of the majority of the House. The cabinet remains answerable to the Parliament.
The President of Bangladesh
is elected by the Parliament through an open ballot voting. As a result, opposition party seldom pitches a candidate and the government-party nominee is uncontested. Current President Zillur Rahman
and former Presidents Iajuddin Ahmed
, A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury
and Shahabuddin Ahmed
were all elected Presidents unopposed. The Parliament can also impeach the President by a two-third majority, although no President has ever been impeached in the past.
The Parliament can form parliamentary standing committees as it sees fit, for the purposes of examining bills, reviewing law enforcements and any other matter of public importance. The de facto power of the committees have always been nominal; the de jure power too is ambiguous, especially after the Supreme Court
ruled that is was not answerable to summons from parliamentary committees.
Article 78 of the Constitution provides immunity to the speeches, actions and votes of the Members done within parliamentary sessions, and hold members not answerable for any such actions to the court. The parliament itself is vested the power to provide indemnity
to anybody in service of the nation under Article 46. This allowed the 2nd parliament in 1979 to ratify the Indemnity Ordinance that provided indemnity to the murderers of Sheikh Mujib.
, with Shawkat Ali
as his deputy.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. The current parliament of Bangladesh contains 345 seats including 45 women reserved seats distributed on elected party position in the parliament, the occupants of which are called Members of Parliament or MPs. The last 9th National Parliamentary Election was held on December 29, 2008 and, under normal conditions, elections are called every five years.
The leader of the party (or alliance of parties) holding the majority of seats is the Prime Minister of Bangladesh
Prime Minister of Bangladesh
The Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is the Head of the Government of Bangladesh. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Jatiya Sangsad Parliament, to their political party and ultimately to the electorate...
, and so the head of the government. The President of Bangladesh
President of Bangladesh
Since 1991, the President of Bangladesh is the head of state, a largely ceremonial post elected by the parliament. Since 1996, the President's role becomes more important after the term of the government has finished, when his executive authority is enhanced as laid down in the constitution of the...
, who is the ceremonial head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
, is chosen by Parliament.
The parliament itself is housed in the Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban
Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban
Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban, the National Assembly of Bangladesh, is the Jatiyo Sangshad Building of Bangladesh, located in the capital Dhaka. It was created by architect Louis Kahn and is one of the largest legislative complexes in the world...
(জাতীয় সংসদ ভবন Jatio Shôngshod Bhôbon) designed by Louis Kahn
Louis Kahn
Louis Isadore Kahn was an American architect, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. After working in various capacities for several firms in Philadelphia, he founded his own atelier in 1935...
.
The current majority
Majority
A majority is a subset of a group consisting of more than half of its members. This can be compared to a plurality, which is a subset larger than any other subset; i.e. a plurality is not necessarily a majority as the largest subset may consist of less than half the group's population...
party is the Bangladesh Awami League
Bangladesh Awami League
The Bangladesh Awami League , commonly known as the Awami League, is the mainstream center-left, secular political party in Bangladesh...
.
Membership
Article 66 of the ConstitutionConstitution of Bangladesh
The Constitution of Bangladesh is the supreme law of Bangladesh. It declares Bangladesh as a secular democratic republic where sovereignty belongs to the people; and lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles of the state and spells out the fundamental rights of citizens...
makes membership open to any citizen of Bangladesh and only Bangladesh (dual citizenship is open for civilians, but not MPs) above the age of 25. Members are elected by direct polls in their respective constituencies, and whoever wins the most vote, regardless of turnout or proportion, wins. Members are elected for a tenure of 5 years; the entire Parliament dissolves 5 years after the swear-in. Members can be re-elected indefinitely, and can be independent or contest through a political party.
Members must not have served time in prison for more than 2 years to be eligible, unless they served this period 5 years prior to the elections.
Article 67 states that members absent without leave for 90 consecutive sitting days will lose their membership. Any ambiguity regarding membership will be resolved by the Bangladesh Election Commission
Bangladesh Election Commission
The Bangladesh Election Commission is an independent constitutional body of the nation of Bangladesh that operates the legal functions of Election law in that South Asian county....
, and attending sessions without membership (even if memberships are cancelled in retrospect) amounts to a BDT
BDT
BDT may refer to:* BDT, the ISO 4217 code for Bangladeshi taka * The Best Damn Thing, a 2007 album by Avril Lavigne...
1,000 ($14) fine per day, per Article 69.
Floor crossing
Article 70 of the ConstitutionConstitution of Bangladesh
The Constitution of Bangladesh is the supreme law of Bangladesh. It declares Bangladesh as a secular democratic republic where sovereignty belongs to the people; and lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles of the state and spells out the fundamental rights of citizens...
makes floor crossing illegal, and members engaging in floor crossing loses their membership.
Floor crossing is described in the Constitution as:
- Resignation from the political party that nominated the member,
- Voting against the nominating party, or
- Abstaining from voting, either by abstention or absence, against the directive of the party Whip.
The only case of floor crossing in Bangladesh was when majority members M A Mannan and Mahi B. Chowdhury
Mahi B. Chowdhury
Mahi Badruddoza Chowdhury is a Bangladeshi politician and an ex-member of the Jatiyo Sangshad or Bangladesh Parliament. He is the son of a former parliamentarian and Bangladeshi President A.Q.M. Badruddoza Chowdhury.-Political career:...
defected to form a new party Bikolpo Dhara. Fresh by-elections were held soon after the seats were vacated; Mahi B. Chowdhury
Mahi B. Chowdhury
Mahi Badruddoza Chowdhury is a Bangladeshi politician and an ex-member of the Jatiyo Sangshad or Bangladesh Parliament. He is the son of a former parliamentarian and Bangladeshi President A.Q.M. Badruddoza Chowdhury.-Political career:...
retained his seat under the new party, whereas Mannan failed.
Debate about the provision
Most candidates are elected by the funding, support and brand name of the party, and therefore, resignation from the party voids the choice of the people. The prime objective of banning floor crossing is to prevent members from joining other parties for personal gains. This is crucial in marginal majorities, where a few majority members voting against the majority essentially changes the government party in power.The ban on floor crossing stunts the members from speaking out against bad policies pitched by their party. This is considered harmful for parliamentary democracy, as the ban forces members to agree with their party leaders regardless of their own opinions or the opinions of their constituents.
Double membership
Article 71 of the Constitution allows eligible people to be candidates in more than one constituency. However, if elected from multiple seats, the member must vacate all but one seat.It is usually the custom for prominent politicians, especially party leaders. During the last election Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina is a Bangladeshi politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Awami League, a major political party, since 1981. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh and widow of a reputed nuclear...
, prominent AL figure (and current President of Bangladesh
President of Bangladesh
Since 1991, the President of Bangladesh is the head of state, a largely ceremonial post elected by the parliament. Since 1996, the President's role becomes more important after the term of the government has finished, when his executive authority is enhanced as laid down in the constitution of the...
) Zillur Rahman
Zillur Rahman
Md. Zillur Rahman is the President of Bangladesh and a senior presidium member of the Awami League...
, BNP leader Khaleda Zia
Khaleda Zia
Begum Khaleda Zia is the former First Lady of Bangladesh , and then Prime Minister of Bangladesh, having served from 1991 to 1996, becoming the first woman in the country's history and second in the Muslim world to head a democratic government as prime minister. She served again from 2001 until...
and Jatiya Party leader H M Ershad all were candidates in the maximum possible number of constituencies.
Powers and rights
The President of BangladeshPresident of Bangladesh
Since 1991, the President of Bangladesh is the head of state, a largely ceremonial post elected by the parliament. Since 1996, the President's role becomes more important after the term of the government has finished, when his executive authority is enhanced as laid down in the constitution of the...
appoints a cabinet with the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Bangladesh
The Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is the Head of the Government of Bangladesh. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Jatiya Sangsad Parliament, to their political party and ultimately to the electorate...
and other ministers from among the Members. The Prime Minister must be a parliamentarian, and so must at least 90% of the Ministers. The President must appoint a Prime Minister who, in his opinion, commands the confidence of the majority of the House. The cabinet remains answerable to the Parliament.
The President of Bangladesh
President of Bangladesh
Since 1991, the President of Bangladesh is the head of state, a largely ceremonial post elected by the parliament. Since 1996, the President's role becomes more important after the term of the government has finished, when his executive authority is enhanced as laid down in the constitution of the...
is elected by the Parliament through an open ballot voting. As a result, opposition party seldom pitches a candidate and the government-party nominee is uncontested. Current President Zillur Rahman
Zillur Rahman
Md. Zillur Rahman is the President of Bangladesh and a senior presidium member of the Awami League...
and former Presidents Iajuddin Ahmed
Iajuddin Ahmed
-Early life:Ahmed was born in Bikrampur of Dhaka District, erstwhile Bengal province, British India . As the son of Moulvi Ibrahim Mia, Ahmed obtained his B.Sc. and M.S. at the University of Dhaka in 1952 and 1954 respectively and later received his M.S. and Ph.D...
, A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury
A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury
Dr A.Q.M. Badruddoza Chowdhury was the 15th president of Bangladesh and founding secretary-general of Bangladesh Nationalist Party.-Early life:...
and Shahabuddin Ahmed
Shahabuddin Ahmed
Shahabuddin Ahmed is a former president and Chief Justice of Bangladesh. Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed took over the office of President after a popular uprising against President Hossain Mohammad Ershad in 1991. After the resumption of democracy, he returned to his duties as the Chief Justice...
were all elected Presidents unopposed. The Parliament can also impeach the President by a two-third majority, although no President has ever been impeached in the past.
The Parliament can form parliamentary standing committees as it sees fit, for the purposes of examining bills, reviewing law enforcements and any other matter of public importance. The de facto power of the committees have always been nominal; the de jure power too is ambiguous, especially after the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Bangladesh
The Supreme Court of Bangladesh is the highest court of law in Bangladesh. It is composed of the High Court Division and the Appellate division, and was created by Part VI Chapter I of the Constitution of Bangladesh adopted in 1972. This is also the office of the Chief Justice, Appellate Division...
ruled that is was not answerable to summons from parliamentary committees.
Article 78 of the Constitution provides immunity to the speeches, actions and votes of the Members done within parliamentary sessions, and hold members not answerable for any such actions to the court. The parliament itself is vested the power to provide indemnity
Indemnity
An indemnity is a sum paid by A to B by way of compensation for a particular loss suffered by B. The indemnitor may or may not be responsible for the loss suffered by the indemnitee...
to anybody in service of the nation under Article 46. This allowed the 2nd parliament in 1979 to ratify the Indemnity Ordinance that provided indemnity to the murderers of Sheikh Mujib.
Past parliamentary election results
| Legislature | Majority | Leader of House | Opposition | Opposition Leader | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Parliament Bangladeshi general election, 1973 The First National Parliamentary Elections 1973 were held in Bangladesh on 7 March 1973. The result was a victory for the Bangladesh Awami League, who won 293 of the 300 seats, including eleven constituencies where they were elected unopposed without a vote. Voter turnout was 54.9%.-Results:... |
Awami League | Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a Bengali nationalist politician and the founder of Bangladesh. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its Prime Minister. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its... |
None | None | No other political party won more than 1 seat |
| 2nd Parliament Bangladeshi general election, 1979 The Second National Parliamentary Elections 1979 were held in Bangladesh on 18 February 1979. The result was a victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which won 207 of the 300 seats. Voter turnout was 51.3%.-Results:... |
BNP Bangladesh Nationalist Party The Bangladesh Nationalist Party , commonly referred to as the BNP, is the mainstream center-right political party in Bangladesh. BNP ruled Bangladesh total 18 years since her independence, the longest than any other party in Bangladesh... |
Ziaur Rahman Ziaur Rahman President Ziaur Rahman, Bir Uttam, was a Bangladeshi politician and general, who read the declaration of Independence of Bangladesh on March 26, 1971 on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He later became the seventh President of Bangladesh from 1977 until 1981... |
Awami League | None | Opposition was too factioned to elect a leader |
| 3rd Parliament Bangladeshi general election, 1986 The Third National Parliamentary Elections 1986 were held in Bangladesh on 7 May 1986. A total of 1,527 candidates contested the election. The result was a victory for the Jatiya Party, which won 153 of the 300 seats. Voter turnout was 61.1%. Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the winner of the... |
Jatiya Party | H M Ershad | Awami League | Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina is a Bangladeshi politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Awami League, a major political party, since 1981. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh and widow of a reputed nuclear... |
|
| 4th Parliament Bangladeshi general election, 1988 The Fourth National Parliamentary Elections 1988 were held in Bangladesh on 3 March 1988. They were boycotted by several major parties, including the Bangladesh Awami League, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the Communist Party of Bangladesh, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Krishak... |
Jatiya Party | H M Ershad | Coalition opposition | A. S. M. Abdur Rab | Rab was dubbed Ershad's domesticated Opposition Leader, since all major parties had boycotted the elections, and Ershad pitched the coalition opposition to give his regime legitimacy. |
| 5th Parliament Bangladeshi general election, 1991 The Fifth National Parliamentary Elections 1991 were held in Bangladesh on 27 February 1991. The result was a victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which won 140 of the 300 seats. Voter turnout was 55.4%.-Results:... |
BNP Bangladesh Nationalist Party The Bangladesh Nationalist Party , commonly referred to as the BNP, is the mainstream center-right political party in Bangladesh. BNP ruled Bangladesh total 18 years since her independence, the longest than any other party in Bangladesh... |
Khaleda Zia Khaleda Zia Begum Khaleda Zia is the former First Lady of Bangladesh , and then Prime Minister of Bangladesh, having served from 1991 to 1996, becoming the first woman in the country's history and second in the Muslim world to head a democratic government as prime minister. She served again from 2001 until... |
Awami League | Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina is a Bangladeshi politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Awami League, a major political party, since 1981. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh and widow of a reputed nuclear... |
|
| 6th Parliament Bangladeshi general election, February 1996 The Sixth National Parliamentary Elections 1996 was held in Bangladesh on 15 February 1996. They were boycotted by most opposition parties, and saw voter turnout drop to just 21%. The result was a victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which won 278 of the 289 elected seats... |
BNP Bangladesh Nationalist Party The Bangladesh Nationalist Party , commonly referred to as the BNP, is the mainstream center-right political party in Bangladesh. BNP ruled Bangladesh total 18 years since her independence, the longest than any other party in Bangladesh... |
Khaleda Zia Khaleda Zia Begum Khaleda Zia is the former First Lady of Bangladesh , and then Prime Minister of Bangladesh, having served from 1991 to 1996, becoming the first woman in the country's history and second in the Muslim world to head a democratic government as prime minister. She served again from 2001 until... |
Bangladesh Freedom Party | None | |
| 7th Parliament Bangladeshi general election, June 1996 The Seventh National Parliamentary Elections 1996 were held in Bangladesh on 12 June 1996. The result was a victory for the Bangladesh Awami League, which won 146 of the 300 seats. Voter turnout was 75.6%, the highest to date.-Results:... |
Awami League | Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina is a Bangladeshi politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Awami League, a major political party, since 1981. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh and widow of a reputed nuclear... |
BNP Bangladesh Nationalist Party The Bangladesh Nationalist Party , commonly referred to as the BNP, is the mainstream center-right political party in Bangladesh. BNP ruled Bangladesh total 18 years since her independence, the longest than any other party in Bangladesh... |
Khaleda Zia Khaleda Zia Begum Khaleda Zia is the former First Lady of Bangladesh , and then Prime Minister of Bangladesh, having served from 1991 to 1996, becoming the first woman in the country's history and second in the Muslim world to head a democratic government as prime minister. She served again from 2001 until... |
|
| 8th Parliament | BNP Bangladesh Nationalist Party The Bangladesh Nationalist Party , commonly referred to as the BNP, is the mainstream center-right political party in Bangladesh. BNP ruled Bangladesh total 18 years since her independence, the longest than any other party in Bangladesh... |
Khaleda Zia Khaleda Zia Begum Khaleda Zia is the former First Lady of Bangladesh , and then Prime Minister of Bangladesh, having served from 1991 to 1996, becoming the first woman in the country's history and second in the Muslim world to head a democratic government as prime minister. She served again from 2001 until... |
Awami League | Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina is a Bangladeshi politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Awami League, a major political party, since 1981. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh and widow of a reputed nuclear... |
|
| 9th Parliament | Awami League | Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina is a Bangladeshi politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Awami League, a major political party, since 1981. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh and widow of a reputed nuclear... |
BNP Bangladesh Nationalist Party The Bangladesh Nationalist Party , commonly referred to as the BNP, is the mainstream center-right political party in Bangladesh. BNP ruled Bangladesh total 18 years since her independence, the longest than any other party in Bangladesh... |
Khaleda Zia Khaleda Zia Begum Khaleda Zia is the former First Lady of Bangladesh , and then Prime Minister of Bangladesh, having served from 1991 to 1996, becoming the first woman in the country's history and second in the Muslim world to head a democratic government as prime minister. She served again from 2001 until... |
Speakers and Deputy Speakers
The current speaker of the House is Advocate Abdul HamidAbdul Hamid (politician)
Abdul Hamid is the Speaker of the National Parliament of Bangladesh since 2009.Hamid was born in Mithamoin in the Kishoreganj District....
, with Shawkat Ali
Col. Shawkat Ali
Col. Shawkat Ali MP is a Bangladeshi politician and the deputy speaker of the National Parliament. He is a member of Awami League and a freedom fighter.- Early life :...
as his deputy.