Comparison
Read two legal systems against each other
Because every portal follows the same fifteen-section outline, the comparison is genuinely like-for-like rather than a collage of whatever each government happens to publish.
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| Attribute | BangladeshReviewed | IranReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Common law | Islamic law with civil law codification |
| System of government | Parliamentary republic | Islamic republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh | Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran |
| In force since | 1972 | 1979 |
| Capital | Dhaka | Tehran |
| Official languages | Bengali | Persian |
| Currency | Bangladeshi taka (BDT) | Rial (IRR) |
| Population | 171,200,000 | 89,000,000 |
| Division of powers | Unitary, with eight administrative divisions and 64 districts exercising delegated rather than constitutional authority. The Chittagong Hill Tracts have a distinct regional council arrangement under the 1997 Peace Accord, and the three hill districts apply special rules on land transfer intended to protect indigenous communities. | Unitary, with 31 provinces headed by governors-general appointed by the Interior Ministry, alongside elected city and village councils created by the Constitution and operating since 1999 with limited competences. |
| How law is made | A unicameral Parliament passes bills by simple majority; the President may return a bill once but must assent if it is passed again. Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority. Article 70 removes a member's seat if they vote against their party, which sharply limits legislative independence from the executive. Ordinances may be issued between sessions. | A bill is introduced by the Government or by at least fifteen deputies, passes the Majlis, and goes to the Guardian Council, which has ten days, extendable, to find it consistent with Islam and the Constitution. If the Council objects, the bill returns for amendment; persistent disagreement goes to the Expediency Discernment Council, whose decision is final. Only then does the President sign and publish. |
| Legal profession | A fused profession of advocates enrolled by the Bangladesh Bar Council after a law degree and the Bar Council examination. Rights of audience are tiered: enrolment permits practice in subordinate courts, and separate permission is needed to appear in the High Court Division and then the Appellate Division. The Bar Council is elected and, like Pakistan's, politically prominent. | Two parallel routes to practice, which is unusual and consequential: attorneys licensed by the Iranian Bar Association (Kanoon-e Vokala), a self-governing body dating to 1953, and attorneys licensed under Article 187 of the Third Development Plan directly by the judiciary. The two groups have contested each other's standing for two decades. Notaries operate licensed offices under the registration organisation, and their authentication is required for property transfers, marriage contracts and powers of attorney. |
A comparison table flattens nuance by design. Where a difference matters to a decision you are making, open both portals and read the section in full — the constitutional detail behind a one-line summary is often the part that governs the outcome.