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Bangladesh

People's Republic of Bangladesh

Common lawParliamentary republicReviewed· 2026-08-03
Capital
Dhaka
Population
171,200,000
Languages
Bengali
Currency
BDT

Bangladesh · Constitution

Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh

Adopted in November 1972, within a year of independence, and amended seventeen times. It originally rested on four fundamental principles — nationalism, socialism, democracy and secularism — which were altered under later governments and partly restored by the Fifteenth Amendment of 2011. Part III guarantees justiciable fundamental rights; Part II sets out fundamental principles of state policy that are expressly not judicially enforceable. Article 7 declares the Constitution supreme, and the Appellate Division has held that certain basic structural features cannot be amended.

The constitutional text

Adopted in November 1972, within a year of independence, and amended seventeen times. It originally rested on four fundamental principles — nationalism, socialism, democracy and secularism — which were altered under later governments and partly restored by the Fifteenth Amendment of 2011. Part III guarantees justiciable fundamental rights; Part II sets out fundamental principles of state policy that are expressly not judicially enforceable. Article 7 declares the Constitution supreme, and the Appellate Division has held that certain basic structural features cannot be amended.

Separation 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.

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