ABSTRACT

Drawing on the political history of Bangladesh, particularly the nature and power of the Bangladeshi parliament, this chapter discusses three instances when enfeebled legislature amends the constitution and bestowed unlimited power to the executive branch. These are: the 4th Amendment (1975), which transformed Bangladesh into a one-party state; the 15th Amendment (2010), which removed the caretaker government proviso allowing the incumbent to manipulate the national election; and the 16th Amendment (2014), which apparently empowered the parliament to impeach judges of the Supreme Court, but essentially subordinating the judiciary to the executive. The chapter argues these amendments, passed by the legislature, contributed to the growing authoritarianism in Bangladesh.