Politics of Bangladesh takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Bangladesh is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The Constitution of Bangladesh was written in 1972 and has undergone seventeen amendments.
Iajuddin Ahmed was the President of Bangladesh, serving from 6 September 2002 until 12 February 2009. From late October 2006 to January 2007, he also served as Chief Advisor of the caretaker government. From October 2006 to early 2008, his responsibilities as president included the Defense Ministry of the caretaker government.
The Bangladesh Awami League, often simply called the Awami League or AL, is one of the major political parties in Bangladesh. The oldest existing political party in the country, the party played a large role in achieving Bangladeshi independence both before and after the Bangladesh Liberation War. As one of the two most dominant parties in the country, along with its archrival Bangladesh Nationalist Party, it has been the ruling party since 2009, and has since been described as authoritarian.
The prime minister of Bangladesh, officially prime minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is the chief executive of the government of Bangladesh. The prime minister and the cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Parliament, to their political party and ultimately to the electorate. The prime minister is ceremonially appointed by the president of Bangladesh.
Sheikh Hasina Wazed is a Bangladeshi politician and the tenth prime minister of Bangladesh from June 1996 to July 2001 and again serving since January 2009. She is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father and first president of Bangladesh. Having served for a combined total of over 20 years, she is the longest serving prime minister in the history of Bangladesh. As of 24 July 2024, she is the world's longest-serving female head of government.
Kamal Hossain, better known as Dr. Kamal is a founding leader, lawyer and politician of Bangladesh. He is known as the "Father of the Bangladeshi Constitution" and regarded as an icon of secular democracy in the Indian subcontinent. Hossain currently heads his own law firm in Dhaka. He retired from political activities and from the post of president of Gano Forum in October 2023.
Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury is a former Caretaker government advisor in charge of Foreign Affairs (2007-2009).
General elections were held in Bangladesh on 29 December 2008. The two main parties in the election were the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Khaleda Zia, and the Bangladesh Awami League Party, led by Sheikh Hasina. The Bangladesh Awami League Party formed a fourteen-party Grand Alliance including Ershad's Jatiya Party, while the BNP formed a four-party alliance which included the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami. The election was originally scheduled for January 2007, but it was postponed by a military-controlled caretaker government for an extended period of time.
The 2006–2008 Bangladeshi political crisis began as a caretaker government (CTG) assumed power at the end of October 2006 following the end of term of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party administration. The BNP government increased the chief justice's retirement age in an unconstitutional way to bias the appointment of the head of the caretaker government. CTG manages the government during the interim 90-day period and parliamentary elections. Political conflict began with the alleged appointment of a Chief Advisor, a role which devolved to the President, Dr. Iajuddin Ahmed. The interim period was marked from the beginning by violent protests initiated by the Awami League named Logi Boitha Andolan, with 40 people killed and hundreds injured in the first month. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party had its own complaints about the process and the opposition.
Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury was a Bangladesh Army general who was 12th Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army from 16 June 2002 to 15 June 2005. He was the last officer to serve in this position who had first been commissioned by and served with the Pakistani Army, before the Liberation War of 1971. He served for two years before the war.
Moeen Uddin Ahmed is a former Bangladesh Army general and the 12th Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army from 15 June 2005 to 15 June 2009 with last one-year extension during the caretaker government led by Fakhruddin Ahmed. He has worked in Bangladesh High Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan as a Defence Attaché in the rank of brigadier, and previously served as a UN Peacekeeper in United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda as a colonel in 1995.
Akbar Ali Khan was a Bangladeshi economist and educationist who served as a bureaucrat until 2001. He was a sub-divisional officer of Habiganj during the Bangladesh Liberation War when he decided to join the war. Later he served as an official of the Mujibnagar Government. After independence, he rejoined the civil service and reached the highest post of Cabinet Secretary. In the meanwhile, he also worked as a university teacher. Towards the end of 2006, he became one of the advisers of the Caretaker Government led by President Iajuddin Ahmed. He resigned along with three other advisers, namely, Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury, C M Shafi Sami and Sultana Kamal on the grounds of dissatisfaction with President Dr. Iajuddin Ahmed caretaker government. According to them, there was no scope to contribute in the caretaker government to create a congenial atmosphere for holding a free and fair election. In October 2007, the Government of Bangladesh constituted a Regulatory Reforms Commission (RRC) with him as the chair.
Shah Abu Muhammad Shamsul Kibria, known as SAMS Kibria or Shams Kibria, was a Bangladeshi economist, diplomat and politician.
The history of Bangladesh (1971–present) refers to the period after the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan.
Mukhlesur Rahman Chowdhury, also known as Mokhles Chowdhury, is a Bangladeshi journalist and editor. He served as Press Secretary of the President Iajuddin Ahmed. Mukhles Chowdhury performed as an advisor to the President Iajuddin Ahmed during the Caretaker Government established in October 2006.
Shah Ahmad Shafi was a Bangladeshi Sunni Islamic scholar, the chief of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, Rector of Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam Hathazari and also the chairman of Bangladesh Qawmi Madrasah Education Board. He was born in 1930 in Rangunia, Chittagong and was educated at Hathazari Madrasah and Darul Uloom Deoband.
Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh is a political party in Bangladesh founded by former President of Bangladesh and BNP parliamentarian Dr. A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury in 2004. Abdul Mannan and recent Rabaya Begum; two of the most deepest assets of BDB play the most vital role by recruiting and managing the party to promote itself towards its objectives. Their party symbol during the polls is the kula. Its current political alignment is ambiguous, and has two seats in the parliament.
Jalil Abbas Jilani is a retired Pakistani diplomat who served in Grade 22 as the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan. He is former Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs, he served in office from 17 August 2023 till 04 March 2024. He was born on February 3, 1955, in Multan to a family known for high-profile bureaucrats. He served as the 22nd Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States from December 2013 to February 2017, and previously served as the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan from March 2012 to December 2013. He has also served as a Senior Director at the Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS).
General elections were held in Bangladesh on 7 January 2024 in accordance with the current constitutional requirement, stating that elections must take place within the 90-day period before the expiration of the current term of the Jatiya Sangsad on 29 January 2024. The Awami League, led by incumbent Sheikh Hasina, won the election for the fourth consecutive time with less than 40% of the eligible voters voting according to an Election Commission, which is run by the ruling political party. The party won 224 seats while independent candidates, most of whom were Awami League members propped up as dummy candidates to give a semblance of competition, won 62 seats.
Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah is a Bangladeshi civil servant and chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission. During his term Anti-Corruption Commission officials raised complaints against the top management of the commission coming from Bangladesh Civil Service and operating under different rules from regular staff of the commission.
