How Government Works

A short guide to how the executive branch of government works in Bangladesh, and how power is meant to be divided.

The basic structure

Bangladesh has a parliamentary system of government. The President is the head of state, a largely ceremonial role. The Prime Minister, who leads the party or coalition with a majority in parliament, is the head of government and holds executive power. The Prime Minister leads the Cabinet, made up of ministers who each head a ministry.

Ministries and departments

Each ministry is responsible for a policy area, such as finance, home affairs, education or health, and is run day to day by civil servants under the minister's direction. Ministries implement laws passed by parliament and manage government spending in their area. See our Institutions database for individual ministries.

Checks on executive power

In principle, the executive is accountable to parliament, which can question ministers and must approve the budget, and to the judiciary, which can rule on whether government action is lawful. The Anti-Corruption Commission and other statutory bodies also have oversight roles over specific areas.

Where to look further

• How Parliament Works
• How the Budget Works
• Institutions database

[TO VERIFY: confirm the current names and structures against official sources before publishing, since institutional details change over time.]