ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the role and behaviour of political parties in the making as well as the amendment of the Constitution of Bangladesh. The Constitution Drafting Committee and the Constituent Assembly, composed of politicians, played an extremely important role in drafting the Constitution. Amendments to the Constitution made by parliaments led to the evolution of a consensus on the form of government and on the process of succession of government, both of which had divided the political parties for a long time. Agreement on these two basic principles led to the evolution of a competitive political system in the country. But following the unilateral abolition of the caretaker model of the succession of government by the ruling party in 2011, much of what could be gained earlier was lost. The competitive party-political system that was gradually developing during the ‘caretaker’ era (1996-2011) has now been replaced by a single-dominant party system, considered to be antithetical to democracy.
