Post: | Chief Adviser of The People's Republic of Bangladesh |
Native Name: | গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশের প্রধান উপদেষ্টা |
Flag: | Standard of the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh.svg |
Flagsize: | 165px |
Flagcaption: | Standard of the Chief Adviser |
Insignia: | Seal of the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh.svg |
Insigniasize: | 120px |
Insigniacaption: | Seal of the Chief Adviser |
Incumbentsince: | 8 August 2024 |
Role: | Chief Adviser |
Appointer: | President of Bangladesh |
Termlength: | until the next general election is held and a new Prime Minister takes office |
Residence: | Jamuna |
Formation: | 1996 |
Precursor: | Prime minister of Bangladesh |
Inaugural: | Muhammad Habibur Rahman |
Website: | cao.gov.bd |
Incumbent: | Muhammad Yunus |
The Chief Adviser is the title of both the head of the abolished caretaker government and the 2024 interim government of Bangladesh, who serves as the head of government during the transition period between one elected government and another. With powers roughly equivalent to those of the prime minister of an elected government, their executive power is limited by the constitution. The Chief Adviser leads an Advisory Committee comprising several advisers, all of them selected from among politically neutral individuals to be acceptable to all major political parties.[1]
The caretaker government system of Bangladesh was introduced in 1991 through the passage of the 13th amendment to the constitution. The system was formed to hold democratic elections after military dictator Hussain Muhammad Ershad was removed from power. The amendment recommended making the last retired chief justice the chief adviser.[2] In 1996 Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman was appointed the chief adviser of the caretaker government. Along with the President of Bangladesh, Abdur Rahman Biswas, prevented the 1996 Bangladesh coup d'état attempt. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party had some difficult appointing a Chief adviser to the caretaker government which led to the 2006–08 Bangladeshi political crisis.[3] The Bangladesh Nationalist Party appointed President Iajuddin Ahmed the chief adviser to the caretaker government, but he faced demands for resignation from Bangladesh Awami League.[4] Iajuddin Ahmed was replaced by Fakhruddin Ahmed. During the crisis, the military-backed caretaker government was led by Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed.[5] Fakhruddin Ahmed appointed three special assistants to himself who were given the rank of a state minister. The assistants were Barrister Debashis Roy, Brigadier General M. A. Malek, and Professor M Tamim.[6] There was some debate about the constitutional validity of the assistant to the chief advisers.
The caretaker government system was scrapped along with the 13th amendment in 2011 through the passage of the 15th amendment of the constitution to allow the elected government to conduct any General Election in the future. Past Chief Justice of Bangladesh Mr. Justice A.B.M. Khairul Haque, who was the 19th Chief Justice of Bangladesh when he delivered the verdict which declared the Caretaker Government illegal and unconstitutional.
The office was restored in 2024 under the extra-constitutional setup of an interim government, following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.[7]
There has been 6 Chief Advisors of Bangladesh so far.[9]
Name (Birth–Death) | Portrait | Entered office | Left office | Tenure | Political party | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Caretaker government of Bangladesh | |||||||
1 | Muhammad Habibur Rahman[10] (1928–2014) | 30 March 1996 | 23 June 1996 | Independent | |||
2 | Latifur Rahman (1936–2017) | 15 July 2001 | 10 October 2001 | Independent | |||
3 | Iajuddin Ahmed (1931–2012) President | 29 October 2006 | 11 January 2007 | Independent | |||
– | Fazlul Haque (1938–) Acting | 11 January 2007 | 12 January 2007 | Independent | |||
4 | Fakhruddin Ahmed[11] (1940–) | 12 January 2007 | 6 January 2009 | Independent | |||
2024 Bangladesh interim government | |||||||
5 | Muhammad Yunus[12] (1940–) | 8 August 2024 | Incumbent | Independent |