Government of Bangladesh
The Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh was constituted by the Constitution of Bangladesh comprising the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary. Bangladesh is a unitary state and the central government has the authority to govern over the entirety of the nation. The seat of the government is located in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
The executive government is led by the prime minister, who selects all the remaining ministers. The prime minister and the other most senior ministers belong to the supreme decision-making committee, known as the Cabinet. After the Resignation of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, the current Interim government is led by Muhammad Yunus as chief adviser.
Head of state
The President serves as the head of state, primarily performing ceremonial duties, while the Prime Minister, as the head of government, holds actual executive authority. The President is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The President is elected by the legislature for a five-year term and normally exercises limited powers, which are substantially expanded during the tenure of a caretaker government to oversee the transition to a new administration. Bangladesh has a unique system for the transfer of power: at the end of a government’s term, authority is temporarily handed over to a non-partisan caretaker government, drawn from civil society, for three months to conduct general elections and transfer power to the newly elected representatives. This system was first practiced in 1991 and was incorporated into the Constitution through the 14th Amendment in 1996.As head of state, the President has the power to grant pardons, commute death sentences, or reduce punishments. In certain circumstances, the President also performs limited legislative and judicial functions as provided by the Constitution.
Head of government
The Prime Minister is the head of government of Bangladesh. In accordance with Article 56 of the Constitution, the Prime Minister is ceremonially appointed by the President from among the members of parliament who, in the President’s opinion, command the support of the majority of members.The cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister, consists of selected ministers who collectively exercise executive authority under the Constitution. As head of government, the Prime Minister holds the supreme executive power and directs the overall governance of Bangladesh.
Cabinet and ministries
The executive branch of the Government of Bangladesh administers the state and implements laws enacted by the Jatiya Sangsad. It is responsible for maintaining internal law and order, conducting foreign relations, and protecting the defence, independence, and sovereignty of the country.The Cabinet is headed by the Prime Minister and consists of Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State, and Deputy Ministers. According to the Constitution of Bangladesh, all members of the Cabinet must be members of the Jatiya Sangsad, or they must be elected to the Parliament within six months after their appointment.
Each ministry is led politically by a Minister and administered by a Secretary, a senior civil servant who oversees policy implementation and manages the overall operation of the ministry and its subordinate divisions.