08/07/2019
Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
authorities, government and nongovernment educational institutions, embassies and missions of Bangladesh
abroad.]
The capital
5. (1) The capital of the Republic is 8[ Dhaka].
(2) The boundaries of the capital shall be determined by law.
Citizenship
9[ 6. The citizenship of Bangladesh shall be determined and regulated by law.
(2) The people of Bangladesh shall be known as Bangalees as a nation and the citizens of Bangladesh shall
be known as Bangladeshies.]
Supremacy of the
Constitution
7. (1) All powers in the Republic belong to the people, and their exercise on behalf of the people shall be
effected only under, and by the authority of, this Constitution.
(2) This Constitution is, as the solemn expression of the will of the people, the supreme law of the Republic,
and if any other law is inconsistent with this Constitution that other law shall, to the extent of the
inconsistency, be void.
Offence of abrogation,
suspension, etc of the
Constitution
10
[ 7A. (1) If any person, by show of force or use of force or by any other unconstitutional means
(a) abrogates, repeals or suspends or attempts or conspires to abrogate, repeal or suspend this Constitution
or any of its article ; or
or conspires to subvert the confidence, belief or reliance of the citizens to this
(b) subverts or attempts
Constitution or any of its article,
his such act shall be sedition and such person shall be guilty of sedition.
(2) If any person
(a) abets or instigates any act mentioned in clause (1) ; or
(b) approves, condones, supports or ratifies such act,
his such act shall also be the same offence.
(3) Any person alleged to have committed the offence mentioned in this article shall be sentenced with the
highest punishment prescribed for other offences by the existing laws.
Basic provisions of the
Constitution are not
amendable
7B. Notwithstanding anything contained in article 142 of the Constitution, the preamble, all articles of Part I,
all articles of Part II, subject to the provisions of Part IXA all articles of Part III, and the provisions of
articles relating to the basic structures of the Constitution including article 150 of Part XI shall not be
amendable by way of insertion, modification, substitution, repeal or by any other means.]
PART II
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF STATE POLICY
Fundamental principles
8. 11[ (1) The principles of nationalism, socialism, democracy and secularism, together with the principles
derived from those as set out in this Part, shall constitute the fundamental principles of state policy.]
(2) The principles set out in this Part shall be fundamental to the governance of Bangladesh, shall be applied
by the State in the making of laws, shall be a guide to the interpretation of the Constitution and of the
other laws of Bangladesh, and shall form the basis of the work of the State and of its citizens, but shall not
be judicially enforceable.
Nationalism
12[ 9.
The unity and solidarity of the Bangalee nation, which, deriving its identity from its language and
culture, attained sovereign and independent Bangladesh through a united and determined struggle in the war
of independence, shall be the basis of Bangalee nationalism.]
Socialism and freedom from
exploitation
13[ 10. A socialist economic system shall be established with a view to ensuring the attainment of a just and
egalitarian society, free from the exploitation of man by man.]
Democracy and human rights
11. The Republic shall be a democracy in which fundamental human rights and freedoms and respect for the
dignity and worth of the human person shall be guaranteed 14[ * * *] 15[ , and in which effective
participation by the
bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/print_sections_all.php?id=367
2/36