Bangladesh Supreme Court Reinstates Non-Partisan Caretaker Government System for Elections
The Supreme Court of Bangladesh has reinstated the non-partisan caretaker government system during the election period. The court declared the previous verdict in 2011 that abolished this system as illegal. The full Appellate Division of 7 judges, led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, announced the verdict today at 9:40 am.
With this ruling, the caretaker government system will automatically return to the constitution. However, the upcoming 13th national parliament election will still be held under the interim government. The caretaker government system will be effective from the 14th national parliament elections.
The non-party caretaker government system was introduced in 1996 through the 13th Amendment to the constitution. Its purpose was to ensure free and fair elections under a non-party caretaker government that would be in charge for only 90 days. The recent verdict by the seven-member bench led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed overturns the 2011 judgment that had scrapped the caretaker system.
In a separate development on November 17, the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Sheikh Hasina and her close aide, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, to death. Another accused, former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah al-Mamun, received a five-year jail term for "crimes against humanity" during the July-August uprising in 2024. Hasina criticized the verdict, calling the tribunal rigged and lacking democratic mandate.