The Parliament

The parliament of Bangladesh owes its origin to the British parliament. Its precursor, the Legislative Council of Bengal, was established in 1861, more than a century after the British first colonized India. There has been a new beginning in parliamentary politics since the beginning of the 1990s. Most of the parliaments elected since 1991 have survived longer than their predecessors; these also have enjoyed greater legitimacy and public support. The parliament has theoretically a better scope to assert itself and to emerge as an important actor in the process of governance. Bangladesh has a 350-member unicameral parliament. The constitution provides for the supremacy of the parliament, at least in lawmaking. Formally, the parliament is considered to be the supreme lawmaking authority in Bangladesh. The government in Bangladesh, as in other Westminster-based systems, owes its origin and remains accountable to the parliament. The parliament of Bangladesh is mostly a chamber-orientated legislature.