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Politics of Bangladesh |
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Bangladesh elects on national level a legislature with one house or chamber. The unicameral Jatiyo Sangshad, meaning national parliament, has 350 members of which 300 members are directly elected through a national election for a five-year term in single-seat constituencies while 50 memberships are reserved for the women who are selected by the ruling party or coalition. The Prime Minister is the head of the government. The president who is the head of the state is elected by the National Parliament. The president of Bangladesh is a ceremonial post and does not exercise any control over the running of the state.
Prior to the 2024 Bangladesh constitutional crisis, the country had a two-party system that had evolved over time since the election of 1991. Two political parties or coalitions dominated, one headed by Bangladesh Awami League and the other by Bangladesh Nationalist Party, making it difficult for anybody to achieve electoral success under the banner of any other party. However, the Jatiya Party (Ershad) has enjoyed electoral success over the years, winning several local and mayoral elections and becoming the primary opposition party following the boycott by of the 2014 Bangladeshi general election by BNP.