Parliament of Bangladesh: Constitutional Position and Contributions

Dr M Jashim Ali Chowdhury 

Published in: Ridwanul Hoque and Rokeya Chowdhury (eds), A History of the Constitution of Bangladesh: The Founding, Development, and Way Ahead (Routledge, London, 11 July 2023) pp. 145-160

Publisher Link: 10.4324/9781003276814-12

Abstract

Bangladesh’s original constitutional scheme of 1972 adopted a Westminster parliamentary system. The choice was influenced, among others, by post-colonial political elites’ over-appreciation of the British parliamentary system as the most adaptable institution for Commonwealth countries. In the case of Bangladesh, a desire to reverse the decades-long suppression by Pakistani authoritarian presidentialism also provided strong motivation. However, fifty years into its constitutional beginning, Bangladesh had undergone different cycles of constitutional changes involving one-party presidentialism, military dictatorships, unelected non-political caretaker governments, illiberal bipartisanships, and, again, the latest ongoing round of one-party monopoly. Curiously, the vicious cycle of constitutional dismemberment and restoration, realised through several constitutional amendments, shows that the 1972 scheme of the parliamentary system has a remarkable level of perseverance. Given this paradox of constitutional design and its political mishandling, this chapter evaluates the institutional value that the parliament of Bangladesh (Jatiya Sangsad) carries within the body politic. It is argued that the decline of principled liberal-conservative bipartisanship, along with the emergence of an overtly dominating and dynastic party system, has made the constitutional design of parliamentary system a hollow device with which to attain constitutionalism in Bangladesh.