[🇧🇩] Reinstatement of the Caretaker Government

[Saif]

Date of Event: Jul 3, 2025

Source : https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/politics/wfuevx96hg

All parties support caretaker government reinstatement: Ali Riaz

BSS Dhaka
Published: 02 Jul 2025, 21: 24

National Consensus Commission Vice-Chairman Professor Ali Riaz on Wednesday said every political party in Bangladesh shares a unified stance on restoring the caretaker government system.

“All political parties in Bangladesh hold unanimous view on reinstatement of the caretaker government and there is a specific consensus on this issue,” he said.

Ali Riaz made the statement in a press briefing held at the Doel Hall of the Foreign Service Academy in the capital, marking the conclusion of the eighth day of the second phase of talks between political parties and the National Consensus Commission.

Mentioning that a concrete consensus has been reached on reinstating the caretaker government system, he said discussions during today’s meeting also covered up its formation, structure, and scope of authority.

The political parties have reached significantly closer through open and constructive dialogue, he added.

In addition to the caretaker government issue, he said, the agenda included discussions on the demarcation of the constituencies and substantial consensus was also achieved on this matter.

Ali Riaz further mentioned that there is agreement on implementing both immediate and long-term measures for constituency’s demarcation.

As an immediate step, a specialized committee comprising experts will be formed in coordination with the Election Commission for the upcoming 13th National Parliament elections, he said, adding that if such a committee already exists, necessary adjustments will be made, and constituency boundaries will be finalized in consultation with the restructured body.

Regarding the long-term measures, Ali Riaz said that after every census or not more than 10 years, after the word "and" mentioned at the end of clause 1 (Ga) of Article 119 of the constitution, the word "and" will be added to the end of the word "and" to determine the boundaries of the parliamentary constituencies.

The composition and scope of the committee will be determined by adding 8(3) of the relevant National Parliament Demarcation Act 2021, which was amended in 2025.

Commission members Justice Md Emdadul Haque, Safar Raj Hossain, Dr Badiul Alam Majumder and Dr Md Ayub Mia, and Special Assistant to Chief Adviser Monir Haider were present.

Representatives of 30 political parties including Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, National Citizen Party (NCP), Gono Odhikar Parishad, Ganosamhati Andolan, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Biplobi Workers Party, Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party participated in the discussion.

According to commission sources, the political parties are scheduled to hold another discussion with the commission tomorrow at 10:30am.​

 

[Saif]

Restoration of caretaker govt to put Bangladesh back on highway of democracy: AG

The restoration of the caretaker government system will put the country back on the “highway of democracy”, attorney general Md Asaduzzaman has remarked. He said the elections held after the abolition of the caretaker system had “dug the grave of democracy”. He made the comments in response to...

en.prothomalo.com

Restoration of caretaker govt to put Bangladesh back on highway of democracy: AG
Staff Correspondent Dhaka
Updated: 20 Nov 2025, 14: 21

Attorney general Md Asaduzzaman addresses a press conference at his Supreme Court office on 20 November 2025 Prothom Alo

The restoration of the caretaker government system will put the country back on the “highway of democracy”, attorney general Md Asaduzzaman has remarked.

He said the elections held after the abolition of the caretaker system had “dug the grave of democracy”.

He made the comments in response to a question during a press briefing at his Supreme Court office at around 11:30 am Thursday, following the verdict delivered by the Appellate Division.

The briefing had been convened to explain the judgment regarding the 13th Amendment case.

The Appellate Division today struck down in full the verdict delivered 14 years ago that had invalidated the 13th Amendment of the, which inserted the caretaker government system into the Constitution.

Allowing the appeal filed against that earlier judgment, and disposing of the relevant review petitions, the apex court ruled that all provisions concerning the non-partisan caretaker government have been revived and reactivated.

According to the judgment, the reinstated provisions will be implemented strictly on the basis of future applicability.

Asked whether the judiciary in Bangladesh delivers politically biased judgments, the attorney general replied that he does not believe so.

Which verdict is politically motivated, and which verdict protects the interests of the people through legal reasoning, upholding democracy, safeguarding voting rights, defending the rule of law, and restoring constitutional institutions, is for the nation to judge, he said.

Asaduzzaman stated that today’s judgment has reintroduced the previous caretaker government system. This system, he said, will take effect within 15 days of the dissolution of the next parliament.

The attorney general added that the caretaker system had originally been introduced in the Constitution in 1996 through the 13th Amendment. The Supreme Court has now declared it constitutional, ruling that it is not inconsistent with the Constitution.

He believes the full judgment will make clear that the caretaker system serves as a supportive mechanism for the preservation of democracy in Bangladesh.

Asked whether changes could be made to the outline of the caretaker system set out in the July Charter, the attorney general responded, “Parliament will have discussions. If, 20 years from now, the people feel that this system has decayed or become unfit, and that a better system is required to protect democracy, then of course parliament will have that discussion.”

Explaining why he had previously described the earlier judgment of the same Appellate Division as “tainted” and “flawed”, Asaduzzaman said the very reason it had been struck down was because it was indeed flawed and tainted. Among several reasons, one was that the then chief justice ABM Khairul Haque and his colleagues had, in writing that judgment, committed an offence under Section 219 of the Penal Code, he claimed.

In the interests of democracy, the attorney general said he does not believe any further commentary will arise on this verdict in the future.​

 

[Saif]

Major parties welcome SC verdict

Major political parties on Thursday welcomed the verdict of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court that reinstated the non-party caretaker government system for the Jatiya Sangsad elections.

www.newagebd.net

Major parties welcome SC verdict
Staff Correspondent 20 November, 2025, 23:22

Major political parties on Thursday welcomed the verdict of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court that reinstated the non-party caretaker government system for the Jatiya Sangsad elections.

The Apex Court on the day delivered the verdict, overturning its 2011 judgement that had abolished the caretaker government system.

The upcoming general election, expected to be held in February next year, however, will be held under the interim government and the caretaker system will take effect afterward, the attorney general and lawyers involved in the case said.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, welcoming the verdict, said that the people of the country experienced misrule, oppression and a reign of persecution under an unelected government in the absence of the caretaker government system.

‘With the verdict, we hope that the next caretaker government will consolidate and make upcoming elections acceptable, and will help institutionalise democracy in the country,’ he said.

Although this verdict cannot be implemented during the next Jatiya Sangsad polls, he said, ‘The verdict is nevertheless a signal that future elections will be fair and acceptable, and that the people of Bangladesh will be able to exercise their right to vote.’

The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami also welcomed the verdict and said that there was no alternative to the caretaker government system for holding free and impartial elections.

Jamaat’s assistant secretary general Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair alleged that the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina pushed the country into a dark era by abolishing the caretaker government system in 2011.Political biography book

‘With today’s verdict, the nation has once again been freed from that darkness,’ he said.

He expressed hope that the verdict would bring new stability to the country’s political, economic, and democratic systems and help Bangladesh move toward development and progress.

Explaining the verdict, law adviser Asif Nazrul, in a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, said that although the court revived the caretaker government provision, the upcoming 13th JS elections would be held under the interim government.

‘As per the constitution, such a caretaker government must be formed within 15 days before or after the dissolution of parliament. Therefore, it can only be constituted after the next parliament completes its term,’ he said.

Welcoming the verdict, National Citizens Party member secretary Akhter Hossen said, ‘The nation has been freed from disgrace. The caretaker government system seems the most acceptable form of interim administration to date.’

Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh general secretary Saiful Huq said that the current political crisis began as the electoral system was made partisan.

‘Had the past elections been held under a caretaker government, there would not have been so much bloodshed or the need for mass uprising. Our party welcomes the verdict,’ he said.

Saiful also recommended that the next parliament must ensure that the future caretaker governments remain accountable.

Communist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Abdullah Al Kafi Ratan said, ‘It would have been better if the caretaker government system had been reinstated ahead of the next general election.’

Islami Andolan Bangladesh on Thursday described the verdict as a ‘milestone against constitutional anarchy’.

In a statement sent to the media, the party’s secretary general Yousuf Ahmad said that the institutional process for the peaceful transfer of power in the country has regained its legal status through the verdict.

In a joint statement, Khelafat Majlis amir Abdul Basit Azad and secretary general Ahmad Abdul Kader, said that the one-party fascist rule of the Awami League was prolonged in the country as a consequence of the abolition of the caretaker government system from the constitution.

‘There is no alternative to a non-partisan and neutral caretaker government system to prevent violence during the transition of power. This system will ensure fair elections,’ they said.​