State in Bangladesh

The Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh is the country’s supreme law. Among other things, it establishes the fundamental principles of the state, fundamental rights, and the organization of state power. Fundamental rights include equality, protection against discrimination, life and personal liberty, safeguards upon arrest and in criminal proceedings, and freedoms of movement, assembly, association, expression, religion, choice of profession, property, and privacy. Depending on the provision, these rights apply to citizens or to every person and may be limited by law. Citizens also have duties to comply with the Constitution and laws, maintain public order, perform public duties, and protect public property. The president is elected by parliament and normally acts on the advice of the prime minister. The prime minister is appointed from among the members of parliament who can command a majority in parliament. The cabinet is collectively responsible to parliament. The national parliament (Jatiya Sangsad), also called the House of the Nation, has no more than 350 members: 300 are directly elected and 50 seats are reserved for women. Parliament adopts laws, taxes, and appropriations and oversees the government and the use of public funds through committees. Bangladesh has no federal states or separate provincial level. The country is divided into 8 divisions, 64 districts (Zila), and subdistricts or Upazilas. Thana or police-station areas are law-enforcement units and not an additional administrative level. At the local level, union councils or Union Parishads, subdistrict councils, district councils, municipalities or Pourashavas, and City Corporations operate. Wards are located below them. The Constitution provides for elected local bodies with legally defined responsibilities for administration, public order, and public services. These bodies are financed from their own revenues and government grants; access and responsibility depend on the place of residence, area, and specific service. In the Chittagong Hill Tracts, additional statutory institutions apply, including three Hill District Councils and the CHT Regional Council. The public administration combines central ministries with local authorities. The Divisional Commissioner works at division level, the district commissioner (Deputy Commissioner) at district level, and the subdistrict executive officer (Upazila Nirbahi Officer) at subdistrict level. Ministries and departments set policies and rules; specialized authorities, directorates, and attached offices implement them. For a public service, the first contact usually leads to the responsible specialized authority, its local office, the office of the Deputy Commissioner, or the Upazila Nirbahi Officer. There is no general nationwide point of contact comparable to a citizen service office. Depending on the service, complaints can be pursued through the responsible authority, the Government Grievance Redress System (Government Grievance Redress System), a statutory complaints or appeals body, or a court. The public service commission (Bangladesh Public Service Commission) conducts selection examinations and advises on appointments to the public service. The Ministry of Public Administration is responsible, among other things, for service rules, personnel policy, transfers, and the interface with training and career paths. Requirements, quotas, examinations, appointment, and promotion depend on the service and the specific position. The Ministry of Finance coordinates public finance, the budget, appropriations, and reallocations. The Finance Division is responsible for central budgetary and financial matters. The National Board of Revenue administers substantial parts of taxation through its customs, value-added tax, and income-tax divisions. The central bank (Bangladesh Bank) is responsible, among other things, for monetary policy, foreign-exchange reserves, the payment system, and supervision of banks and financial institutions. The Controller General of Accounts operates the government’s accounting and payment structure. Public procurement is governed by the framework of the responsible procurement authority, BPPA or CPTU. Depending on the procedure, users pay taxes, fees, licence costs, charges for certified copies, or court and procurement fees. The amount and deadline result from the applicable law, fee schedule, or service decision. The judiciary is headed by the Supreme Court, with its Appellate Division and High Court Division. The High Court Division can, among other things, review government action for legality, issue writs, and protect the enforcement of fundamental rights. Subordinate courts operate according to statutory jurisdiction and under judicial administration. Civil disputes are not the focus of this state overview, but they may matter when choosing the competent court. Several institutions oversee state power and public funds. The constitutionally independent Comptroller and Auditor General audits public accounts, authorities, courts, and government expenditure. Its reports are submitted to parliament and subsequently reviewed, among others, by the Public Accounts Committee. The Anti-Corruption Commission (Anti-Corruption Commission) can investigate corruption, initiate proceedings, and conduct prevention work. The National Human Rights Commission (National Human Rights Commission) handles complaints, can conduct investigations on its own initiative, visit places of detention, and offer recommendations, mediation, or legal assistance. A generally operational ombudsman system is not confirmed in the official sources reviewed; such an office should therefore not be assumed. The right of access to information follows from the Right to Information Act 2009 (Right to Information Act 2009). Citizens of Bangladesh submit an application to the responsible information officer (Designated Officer), directly or by email in the prescribed form. The authority normally responds within 20 working days, or within 30 working days when several authorities are involved. If it cannot provide the information, it must generally notify the applicant within 10 days. An appeal may be lodged against a decision within the prescribed procedure; the appeal decision is generally issued within 15 days. A complaint to the Information Commission (Information Commission) may then be possible within 30 days. Fees, copying formats, and individual exemptions are governed by the law and service rules. The Government Grievance Redress System concerns promised government services, their process, or their quality; court proceedings, information applications, disciplinary matters, and statutory appeals do not belong in this complaints route. The police are responsible for public order, crime prevention, investigations, traffic, and internal security. The border force (Border Guard Bangladesh) protects the borders, the Coast Guard performs duties along the coast and at sea, and Ansar and the Village Defence Party support certain public-security functions. The Armed Forces Division coordinates the army, navy, and air force under the prime minister; the Ministry of Defence provides the civilian interface. The president is commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Parliament regulates their establishment, maintenance, and discipline. A declaration of war or participation in war generally requires parliamentary approval. Special constitutional rules apply in an emergency: a proclamation by the president requires the prime minister’s countersignature and remains valid for no more than 120 days without parliamentary approval; restrictions or suspensions of certain rights are possible only through the constitutional procedure provided for them. For government services, nationality, residence or local jurisdiction, statutory requirements, required documents, deadlines, fees, and, where applicable, security checks matter. The specific authority and procedure depend on the matter. For information, the route runs from the Designated Officer through the responsible appellate authority to the Information Commission; for administrative complaints, the responsible office and the Government Grievance Redress System may be relevant; for suspected corruption, the Anti-Corruption Commission; and for violations of fundamental rights, the National Human Rights Commission or the High Court Division. Other administrative, tax, licensing, court, procurement, and security procedures each have their own deadlines and service rules.