Bangladesh: Government#
| Country name | conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh conventional short form: Bangladesh local long form: Gana Prajatantri Bangladesh local short form: Bangladesh former: East Bengal, East Pakistan etymology: the name - a compound of the Bengali words "Bangla" (Bengal) and "desh" (country) - means "Country of Bengal" |
|---|---|
| Government type | parliamentary republic |
| Capital | Dhaka
Dhaka
geographic coordinates: 23 43 N, 90 24 E time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions | 8 divisions; Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Sylhet |
| Independence | 16 December 1971 (from West Pakistan) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 26 March (1971); Victory Day, 16 December (1971); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of the Awami League's declaration of an independent Bangladesh, and 16 December, known as Victory Day, memorializes the military victory over Pakistan and the official creation of the state of Bangladesh |
| Constitution | previous 1935, 1956, 1962 (preindependence); latest enacted 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended March 1982, restored November 1986; amended many times, last in 2014 (2016) |
| Legal system | mixed legal system of mostly English common law and Islamic law |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Bangladesh dual citizenship recognized: yes, but limited to select countries residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Abdul HAMID (since 24 April 2013); note - Abdul HAMID served as acting president following the death of Zillur RAHMAN in March 2013; HAMID was subsequently indirectly elected by the National Parliament and sworn in 24 April 2013 head of government: Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA (since 6 January 2009) cabinet: Cabinet selected by the prime minister, appointed by the president elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the National Parliament for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 22 April 2013 (next to be held by 2018); the president appoints as prime minister the majority party leader in the National Parliament election results: President Abdul HAMID (AL) elected by the National Parliament unopposed; Sheikh HASINA reappointed prime minister as leader of the majority AL party |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral House of the Nation or Jatiya Sangsad (350 seats; 300 members in single-seat territorial constituencies directly elected by simple majority popular vote; 50 members - reserved for women only - indirectly elected by the elected members by proportional representation vote using the single transferable vote method; all members serve 5-year terms) elections: last held on 5 January 2014 (next to be held by January 2019); note - the 5 January 2014 poll was marred by widespread violence, boycotts, general strikes, and low voter turnout election results: percent of vote by party - AL-led Alliance 79%, JP (Ershad) 11.3%, WP 2.1%, JSD 1.8%, other parties 1.0%, independent 4.8%; seats by party - AL 234, JP 34, WP 6, JSD 5, other 5, independent 15; 1 seat repolled |
| Judicial branch | highest court(s): Supreme Court of Bangladesh (organized into the Appellate Division with 7 justices and the High Court Division with 99 justices) judge selection and term of office: chief justice and justices appointed by the president; justices serve until retirement at age 67 subordinate courts: subordinate courts: civil courts include: Assistant Judge's Court; Joint District Judge's Court; Additional District Judge's Court; District Judge's Court; criminal courts include: Court of Sessions; Court of Metropolitan Sessions; Metropolitan Magistrate Courts; Magistrate Court; special courts/tribunals |
| Political parties and leaders | Awami League or AL (Sheikh HASINA) Bangladesh Nationalist Front or BNF (Abdul Kalam AZADI) Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP (Khaleda ZIA) Bangladesh Tariqat Federation or BTF (Syed Nozibul Bashar MAIZBHANDARI) Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) (Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD) Jatiya Party or JP (Manju faction) (Anwar Hossain MANJU) Liberal Democratic Party or LDP (Oli AHMED) National Socialist Party or JSD (KHALEQUZZAMAN) Workers Party or WP (Rashed Khan MENON) |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | Ain o Salish Kendro (Centre for Law and Mediation) or ASK (legal aid and civil rights) Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee or BRAC Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry Ministry of Women's and Children's Affairs or MoWCA (advocacy group to end gender-based violence) Odikhar (human rights group)other: associations of madrassa teachers; business associations, including those intended to promote international trade; development and advocacy NGOs associated with the Grameen Bank; environmentalists; Islamist groups; labor rights advocacy groups; NGOs focused on poverty alleviation, and international trade; religious leaders; tribal groups and advocacy organizations; union leaders |
| International organization participation | ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CD, CICA (observer), CP, D-8, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Mohammad ZIAUDDIN (since 18 September 2014) chancery: 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (1) (202) 244-0183 FAX: (1) (202) 244-2771 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Marcia BERNICAT (since 12 January 2015) embassy: Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212 mailing address: G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000 telephone: (880) (2) 5566-2000 FAX: (880) (2) 5566-2915 |
| Flag description | green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to the hoist side of center; the red disk represents the rising sun and the sacrifice to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lush vegetation of Bangladesh |
| National symbol(s) | Bengal tiger, water lily; national colors: green, red |
| National anthem | name: "Amar Shonar Bangla" (My Golden Bengal) lyrics/music: Rabindranath TAGORE note: adopted 1971; Rabindranath TAGORE, a Nobel laureate, also wrote India's national anthem |