Jatiya Sangsad
Jatiya Sangsad জাতীয় সংসদ | |
|---|---|
| 13th Jatiya Sangsad | |
 | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 7 March 1973 |
| Preceded by | Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh |
| Leadership | |
TBA since 17 February 2026 | |
TBA since 17 February 2026 | |
TBA since 17 February 2026 | |
TBA since 17 February 2026 | |
Kaniz Moula since 25 July 2025 | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 350 |
  | |
Political groups | Government (210)
Supported by (1)
Opposition (78) Others (7)
|
Length of term | Up to five years |
| Elections | |
| |
First election | 7 March 1973 |
Last election | 12 February 2026 |
Next election | By 2031 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, Bangladesh | |
| Website | |
| www | |
| Constitution | |
| Constitution of Bangladesh | |
 |
|---|
 |
 |
 Bangladesh portal |
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The Jatiya Sangsad,[a] constitutionally the House of the Nation and commonly the Sangsad, is the unicameral legislative body of Bangladesh. The current parliament of Bangladesh contains 350 seats,[1] including 50 seats reserved exclusively for women. Elected occupants are called members of Parliament, or MPs. Elections to the body are held every five years, unless a parliament is dissolved earlier by the President of Bangladesh. The most recent parliamentary election was held on 12 February 2026 in which the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won a landslide victory in the election. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami won second most seats and formed the opposition.
The leader of the party, or coalition of parties, holding a majority of seats in Parliament becomes the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and thus serves as the head of the government. The President of Bangladesh, the ceremonial head of state, is chosen by Parliament. Since the 2008 parliamentary election, majority party has been the Awami League, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. On 6 August 2024, President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved parliament after the ousting of Sheikh Hasina and ordered to form an interim government.[2][3]
There are ongoing discussions over the establishment of a bicameral legislature for Bangladesh as a part of the broader reforms carried out by the incumbent interim government. By 2 August 2025, consensus among political parties had reached to establish bicameralism, which may reflect in the upcoming Sangsad.[4]
Etymology
The Constitution of Bangladesh designates the official name of the legislature Jatiya Sangsad (জাতীয় সংসদ) in Bengali and House of the Nation in English. The term Sangsad (Sôṅsôd [ˈʃɔŋʃɔd]), a Bengali word for 'Parliament', derives from the Sanskrit word saṃsada (lit. 'gathering' or 'assembly'). The Bengali word Jatiya (Jatiẏô [ˈdʒati̯oˑ]) means 'National', hence, the name "Jatiya Sangsad" translates as 'National Parliament'. The legislature is commonly known as Parliament and often referred to simply as the Sangsad or JS.
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The term "member of Parliament" (Bengali: সংসদ সদস্য, romanised: Sôṅsôd Sôdôsyô) refers to both the 300 elected members and the 50 nominated women members of the Sangsad. The title is almost always shortened to the initialism "MP" and often referred to simply as the Sangsad. Members of Parliament are entitled to use the prefix "The Honourable" (Bengali: মাননীয়, romanised: Manôniẏô).
History
The Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh was established on 10 April 1972 after the Bangladesh Liberation War to prepare a democratic constitution and served as its first parliament as an independent nation. The assembly approved the constitution on 4 November 1972, and it took effect on 16 December[5] and the Constituent Assembly became the Provisional Parliament of Bangladesh until the first elections under the new constitution took place in 1973.
Until 10 July 1981, the Constituent Assembly, along with the first and second parliaments, held their sittings in the building that now houses the Prime Minister's Office, commonly referred to as the old Sangsad Bhaban (Parliament House). The opening ceremony of the present Parliament House was performed on 15 February 1982. The last session of the second parliament was held in the new house on 15 February 1982.[6]
Constituencies
The maximum strength of the Parliament envisaged by the Constitution of Bangladesh is 350, which is made up of the general election of 300 members to represent 300 parliamentary constituencies and 50 seats reserved for women, which are apportioned to elected party positions in the parliament. The electoral districts are referred to as the Nirbacôni elaka (নির্বাচনী এলাকা) in Bengali, which can be literally translated as 'electoral area' though the official English translation for the term is 'constituency'. This term is used while referring to an electoral district in general. The constituencies are arranged to coincide with the administrative districts of Bangladesh, distributed among the proportion to their population. Numbers may vary from two to twenty members per district. The seats are indicated with the district name suffixed by a number (e.g., Panchagarh-1 or Jessore-6). Each constituency is represented by a single member of Parliament, and is elected by the first-past-the-post system.
Membership
Article 66 of the Constitution makes membership open to any citizen of Bangladesh and only to citizens above the age of 25; dual citizenship is possible for civilians in Bangladesh, but not for MPs who must not hold any other citizenship.[7]
Members are elected by direct polling in their respective constituencies. Whoever wins the most votes, regardless of turnout or proportion, wins the election. Members are elected for a term of five years,[7] with the entire Parliament dissolving five years after the swearing-in. Members can be re-elected indefinitely, and so have no term limits. They may be independent or affiliated with a political party.
Members must not have served time in prison for more than two years to be eligible, unless they served this period five years prior to the general election date.[7]
Article 67[7] 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. Attending sessions without being a member (even if memberships are cancelled in retrospect) results in a BDT1,000 (US$11.75) fine per day, per Article 69.[7]
Floor crossing
Article 70 of the Constitution makes floor crossing illegal.[7][8] Members engaging in floor crossing lose their membership immediately.[7]
Floor crossing is described in the Constitution as:[7]
- Resignation from the political party that nominated the member,
- Voting against the nominating party, or
- Abstaining from voting, either by abstention or absence and against the directive of the party Whip.
The only case of floor crossing in Bangladeshi history due the stringent article was when members M. A. Mannan and Mahi B. Chowdhury defected from the Bangladesh National Party to form a new party, Bikolpo Dhara.[9] Fresh by-elections were held soon after the seats were vacated. Mahi B. Chowdhury retained his seat under the new party, whereas Mannan lost.
Debate about the provision
As most candidates are elected by the funding, support and brand name of the party, and resignation from the party is considered to void the choice of the people.[8] The prime objective of banning floor crossing is to prevent members from joining other parties for personal gains or to induce disloyalty.[8] This is crucial in marginal majorities, where a few members voting against the majority essentially changes the government party in power causing political instability.[8]
The negative effects are broad however such as stopping members from speaking out against bad policies pitched by their party or voting against their party on legislation.[8] This is considered harmful to parliamentary democracy, as the ban forces members to agree with their party leaders regardless of their own opinions or the opinions of their constituents.[8]
Double membership
Article 71 of the Constitution allows eligible people to be candidates in more than one constituency.[7] However, if elected from multiple seats, the member must vacate all but one seat.[10]
It is usually the custom for prominent politicians, especially party leaders to stand in multiple constituencies.[11] During the 2008 election Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina, prominent AL figure (and later 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.[10]
Powers and rights
The president of Bangladesh appoints a cabinet with the prime minister and other ministers from among the members.[7] The prime minister must be a parliamentarian, and so must at least 90% of the ministers.[12][13] The president must appoint a prime minister who, in his reasoned opinion, commands the confidence of the majority of the House.[13] The cabinet remains answerable to the Parliament and the president.[7]
The president of Bangladesh is elected by the Parliament through open ballot voting.[14] As a result, the opposition party seldom nominates a candidate and the governing party nominee is uncontested. Current President Mohammed Shahabuddin and previous presidents Abdul Hamid, Zillur Rahman,[15] Iajuddin Ahmed,[16] A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury[17] and Shahabuddin Ahmed[18] were all elected unopposed. The Parliament can also impeach the president by a two-thirds majority.[7]
The Parliament can form any parliamentary standing committees as it sees fit such as for the purposes of examining bills, reviewing government policy and any other matter of public importance.[7] The de facto power of the committees has always been nominal however; the de jure power too is ambiguous,[19] especially after the Supreme Court ruled that it was not answerable to summons from parliamentary committees and senior civil servants rarely being brought before committees to answer for public administrative decisions.[20]
In practice, the Parliament has been regarded as a rubber stamp body as MPs cannot cross the floor, have free votes (vote against their party whip) or pass motions of no confidence due to Article 70 of the Constitution of Bangladesh. This article imposes ultra-strict party discipline on the chamber; any MP voting against their party automatically loses their seat. Political scientists, judges in the Supreme Court, public intellectuals, newspapers and journalists, civil rights activists and many members of parliament have demanded reform of the article.
Critics argue Article 70 tramples freedom of speech and freedom of conscience and is a violation of the constitution's fundamental rights. Additionally, it significantly limits the checks and balances on the prime minister, as there are few means by which s/he can be legally dismissed under the constitution or even held to basic scrutiny with repercussions. In Bangladesh, the parliament usually reflects the will of the government, not vice versa as in a well-functioning parliamentary democracy. The checks and balances then formed on the prime minister and their cabinet are by civil servants in the Bangladesh Administrative Service and the courts, which are usually too docile to challenge the executive.
Article 78 of the Constitution provides immunity for the speeches, actions and votes of the Members within parliamentary sessions, and so members are not answerable for any such actions to the courts.[7] The parliament itself is vested with the power to provide indemnity to anybody in service of the nation under Article 46.[7] This allowed the 2nd parliament in 1979 to ratify the Indemnity Ordinance.
Past parliamentary election results
Organisation
Parliamentary groups
The parliamentary groups of the Jatiya Sangsad are groups of members of Parliament organised by a political party or coalition of parties. The leadership of each groups consists of a parliamentary party leader, deputy leader, whips and a parliamentary working committee. The size of a group determines the extent of its representation on legislative committees, the time slots allotted for speaking, the number of committee chairs it can hold, and its representation in executive bodies of the parliament.[citation needed][21]
- Current composition
- Government coalition
- Leader of the House; the post is usually held by the prime minister of Bangladesh
- Deputy Leader of the House (who leads the day-to-day business of the government in the Parliament)
- Chief Whip (who is supported by six additional whips)
- Official opposition
- Leader of the Opposition
- Deputy Leader of the Opposition
- Chief Whip of the Opposition
- Government coalition
Executive bodies
The Parliament's executive bodies include the speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad, the House Committee and the Parliament Secretariat. The House Committee consists of the parliament speaker, deputy speaker and whips. Every major political party appoints a whip who is responsible for the party's discipline and behaviour of its members on the floor of the house. The committee is the coordination hub, determining the daily legislative agenda and assigning committee chairpersons based on parliamentary group representation. The Parliament Secretariat, headed by a senior secretary from the Bangladesh Administrative Service, is in charge of all its supporting and advisory duties such as keeping a record of members' voting, speeches, advising on protocol, general clerical, broadcasting and information activities.
- Current composition:
Committees
Most of the legislative work in the Parliament is done in the standing committees, which exist largely unchanged throughout one legislative period. The Parliament has several committees, with small numbers of members appointed to deal with particular topics or issues. The Committees on Ministry (CoM) are committees that are set down under the Parliament's standing orders. The number of Committees in the Ministry approximates the number of ministries of Bangladesh, and the titles of each are roughly similar (e.g., defence, agriculture, and labour). There are, as of the current tenth Parliament, 50 standing committees.[22] The distribution of committee chairs and the membership of each committee reflect the relative strength of the various Parliamentary groups in the house.
- Current committees:
- Committee on Estimates
- Committee on Government Assurances
- Standing Committee on Public Accounts
- Library Committee
- Committee on Petitions
- Committee on Private Member's Bills and Resolutions
- Standing Committee of Privileges
- House Committee
- Business Advisory Committee
- Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure
- Committee on Public Undertakings
- 39 Committees on Ministry (CoMs)
Members of 13th Jatiya Sangsad
Member of Parliament
Reserved women's seats
| No. | Seat | Name | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Women's Seat-1 | ||
| 2 | Women's Seat-2 | ||
| 3 | Women's Seat-3 | ||
| 4 | Women's Seat-4 | ||
| 5 | Women's Seat-5 | ||
| 6 | Women's Seat-6 | ||
| 7 | Women's Seat-7 | ||
| 8 | Women's Seat-8 | ||
| 9 | Women's Seat-9 | ||
| 10 | Women's Seat-10 | ||
| 11 | Women's Seat-11 | ||
| 12 | Women's Seat-12 | ||
| 13 | Women's Seat-13 | ||
| 14 | Women's Seat-14 | ||
| 15 | Women's Seat-15 | ||
| 16 | Women's Seat-16 | ||
| 17 | Women's Seat-17 | ||
| 18 | Women's Seat-18 | ||
| 19 | Women's Seat-19 | ||
| 20 | Women's Seat-20 | ||
| 21 | Women's Seat-21 | ||
| 22 | Women's Seat-22 | ||
| 23 | Women's Seat-23 | ||
| 24 | Women's Seat-24 | ||
| 25 | Women's Seat-25 | ||
| 26 | Women's Seat-26 | ||
| 27 | Women's Seat-27 | ||
| 28 | Women's Seat-28 | ||
| 29 | Women's Seat-29 | ||
| 30 | Women's Seat-30 | ||
| 31 | Women's Seat-31 | ||
| 32 | Women's Seat-32 | ||
| 33 | Women's Seat-33 | ||
| 34 | Women's Seat-34 | ||
| 35 | Women's Seat-35 | ||
| 36 | Women's Seat-36 | ||
| 37 | Women's Seat-37 | ||
| 38 | Women's Seat-38 | ||
| 39 | Women's Seat-39 | ||
| 40 | Women's Seat-40 | ||
| 41 | Women's Seat-41 | ||
| 42 | Women's Seat-42 | ||
| 43 | Women's Seat-43 | ||
| 44 | Women's Seat-44 | ||
| 45 | Women's Seat-45 | ||
| 46 | Women's Seat-46 | ||
| 47 | Women's Seat-47 | ||
| 48 | Women's Seat-48 | ||
| 49 | Women's Seat-49 | ||
| 50 | Women's Seat-50 |
Structures
Parliament House
The parliament is housed in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban (জাতীয় সংসদ ভবন Jatiyô Sôngsôd Bhôbôn), located at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka. Designed by the American architect Louis Kahn, the building is one of the largest legislative complexes in the world, comprising 200 acres (81 ha).[26][27] Louis Kahn designed the entire Jatiya Sangsad complex, which includes lawns, lake and residences for the members of the Parliament (MPs). The main building, which is at the centre of the complex, is divided into three parts – the Main Plaza, South Plaza and Presidential Plaza.
Sangsad Library
The Sangsad Library or Parliament Library claims to be the most comprehensive in Bangladesh, holding over 85,000 books and many more reports, parliamentary debates, government gazettes, journals, magazines and newspapers. The library is housed in Sangsad Bhaban in Sher e Bangla Nagar, Dhaka. The library was established in 1972, after the immediate formation of the Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh to support the lawmakers and their staff. The library is administered by the parliamentary librarian, a statutory officer responsible for the control and management of the facility, reporting to the deputy speaker and the Library Committee. Although the library is open to the public, only current and former members of Parliament, secretariat staff, and authorised researchers may check out books and materials.
Sangsad Television
The Sangsad Bangladesh Television (publicly known as Sangsad TV) is a digital television channel in Bangladesh. It broadcasts parliamentary activity following its establishment under the Broadcasting Act 2011. Prior to the establishment of the Sangsad TV, the Sangsad's programming was produced by the Ministry of Information and relayed in its Bangladesh Television.
Proposed reforms
A proposal to reform Bangladesh's legislature from a unicameral to a bicameral system has been suggested by legal scholars and policy experts. According to a 2025 analysis published in Verfassungsblog, the aim of the proposal is to enhance democratic oversight and improve representation.[28]
The suggested system would consist of two chambers: a National Assembly (lower house) and a Senate (upper house), each serving four-year terms. The National Assembly would consist of 400 members:
- 300 directly elected by a first-past-the-post (FPTP) system;
- 100 women elected from reserved constituencies;
- A 10% youth representation quota, with the candidacy age lowered to 21.
The Senate would comprise 105 members:
- 100 elected via proportional representation (PR), reflecting vote shares from the National Assembly elections;
- 5 nominated by the President to represent marginalised communities.
Under the proposed model, the Senate would not introduce legislation but would have powers to review, suggest amendments, and delay bills passed by the National Assembly, offering a mechanism for legislative moderation. This model draws from practices in other parliamentary democracies and includes semi-parliamentary characteristics designed to balance executive-legislative relations and enhance inclusive governance.[29]
A Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (ShuJonN) opinion poll conducted on 1,373 person between May and July 2025 found that 71% people in the country support PR in the proposed upper house of the Jatiya Sangsad and 69% people support bicameral legislature for the country.[30]
After month-long dialogue with the political parties, the National Consensus Commission, set up by the interim government to build consensus among parties over basic reforms, finalised its decision to establish a bicameral legislature for Bangladesh comprising 450 seats, with the upper chamber comprising 100 seats to be nominated through PR from the popular vote share with 1% threshold, and the lower chamber comprising 350 seats to be combinedly nominated through FPTP and PR as usual. Although women-researved seats in the proposed lower chamber would remain 50, the parties would be obliged to nominate at least 7% female candidates in the general elections. Though the upper chamber would not poses any legislative power, it would have mandate to review any bills or laws proposed by the lower chamber and every bill (except financial bills) have to be presented to the both chambers. The upper chamber cannot hold any bill more than a month, if holds, then the bill would be considered "unapproved" and would be sent back to the lower chamber to review again.[4]
Political analysts welcome the decision for introducing PR based on popular votes in the upper chamber, although the country's largest opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies objected the decision and favoured seat distribution of the upper chamber based on lower chamber distributions.[4]
| House | Method of Selection | Number of Members | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| House of the Nation | Direct election (FPTP) | 300 | General constituencies; with 7% female candidacy quota |
| Proportional representation (PR) | 100 | Based on the directly elected seats of the National Assembly | |
| Senate | Proportional representation (PR) | 105 | Based on popular vote share in the general elections with 1% threshold |
| Total | 505 | ||
See also
- Senate of Bangladesh
- List of members of the 12th Jatiya Sangsad
- Politics of Bangladesh
- List of acts of the Jatiya Sangsad
- List of legislatures by country
References
Notes
- ^ Bengali: জাতীয় সংসদ, romanised: Jatiẏô Sôṅsôd, pronounced [ˈdʒati̯oˑ ˈʃɔŋʃɔd]; lit. 'National Parliament'
- ^ Tarique Rahman withdrew the seat.
- ^ Bangladesh Election Commission postponed the results.[23]
- ^ Bangladesh Election Commission postponed the results.[24]
- ^ Bangladesh Election Commission postponed the results.[25]
Citations
- ^ "Name and Composition of Parliament". Bangladesh Parliament. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- ^ "Bangladesh parliament dissolved, president's office says". Al Arabiya. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ^ Adler, Nils (6 August 2024). "Bangladesh protests updates: Parliament dissolved after Hasina fled to India amidst protest". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ a b c "সংসদের উচ্চকক্ষে সংখ্যানুপাতিক নির্বাচন" [Proportional elections in the parliament's upper chamber]. Deutsche Welle Bangla. 2 August 2025.
- ^ Islam, Sirajul (2012). "Constitution". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
- ^ "History and Building". Bangladesh Parliament. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Bangladesh Constitution" (PDF). Parliament of Bangladesh.
- ^ a b c d e f Molla, M.A.S (24 April 2011). "Amending Article 70". The Daily Star.
- ^ "Mannan, Mahi quit BNP, Gen Nur Uddin AL". The Financial Express. UNB. 11 March 2004. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016 – via News From Bangladesh.
- ^ a b "Bangladesh by-election win widens Hasina majority". Reuters. 2 April 2009. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016.
- ^ "Bangladeshi parliamentary by-elections in Bangladesh end peacefully". Sina. 2 April 2009. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012.
- ^ "Technocrat-Ministers 1972 clause set to be invoked". bdnews24.com. 5 April 2011.
- ^ a b "Bangladesh Background Note". U. S. Department of State. 6 March 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ Chowdhury, Jashim Ali (6 November 2010). "Reminiscence of a lost battle: Arguing for the revival of second schedule". The Daily Star.
- ^ "Zillur all set to be president". The Daily Star. 9 February 2009.
- ^ Helal Uddin Ahmed. "Ahmed, Iajuddin". Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh.
- ^ AM Chowdhury. "Chowdhury, AQM Badruddoza". Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh.
- ^ Kazi Ebadul Hoque; Helal Uddin Ahmed. "Ahmed, Justice Shahabuddin". Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh.
- ^ Islam, M Rafiqul (22 January 2011). "Sovereignty debate". The Daily Star.
- ^ "SC accountable to none". bdnews24.com. 19 January 2011.
- ^ "Key Person of Bangladesh Parliament". Bangladesh Parliament. Archived from the original on 6 January 2015.
- ^ "Name of Committees for 10th Parliament (English)". Bangladesh Parliament. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023.
- ^ BSS (13 February 2026). "EC postpones results of 3 constituencies". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ^ BSS (13 February 2026). "EC postpones results of 3 constituencies". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ^ BSS (13 February 2026). "EC postpones results of 3 constituencies". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ^ "Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban". Banglapedia.
- ^ "National Capital of Bangladesh Project Page". University of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on 24 May 2012.
- ^ Hosen Khan, Arafat (18 April 2025). "Reforming the Legislature in Bangladesh: A Critical Analysis of the Semi-Parliamentary Proposal in the 2025 Constitutional Reform Commission Report". Verfassungsblog. doi:10.59704/97d7e8934e9b1c94. Archived from the original on 18 April 2025.
- ^ Karim, Riadul (27 January 2025). "Upper house won't be able to propose law". Prothom Alo. Archived from the original on 27 January 2025.
- ^ "পিআর পদ্ধতিতে উচ্চকক্ষ চান ৭১ শতাংশ মানুষ: সুজন". Bangla Tribune. 12 August 2025.
Sources
- Sirajul Islam, ed. (2012). "Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh" (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
- Pranab Kumar Panday (2013). Women's Political Participation in Bangladesh: Institutional Reforms, Actors and Outcomes. Springer India. ISBN 978-81-322-1271-3.
- "Parliament Member of Bangladesh". Bangladesh Affairs. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
External links
- Official website
Media related to National Parliament of Bangladesh at Wikimedia Commons
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