Constitution, Law, and Citizens’ Rights
Constitutional foundations
The Constitution of Bangladesh, adopted in 1972, establishes a unitary parliamentary democracy. Know its main parts: fundamental principles of state policy, fundamental rights, the structure of government, and the independence of the judiciary. Understand the amendment procedure, the supremacy of the Constitution, and the role of judicial review.
Rights and duties
Learn the fundamental rights in detail - equality before law, protection of life and liberty, freedom of movement, assembly, association, speech, religion, and the right to constitutional remedies. Know which rights are subject to reasonable restrictions and which cannot be suspended. Know the writ remedies available to citizens.
Traps
Questions confuse fundamental principles of state policy, which are not directly enforceable, with fundamental rights, which are enforceable in court. Another trap is swapping the roles of the President and the Prime Minister, or the term lengths of constitutional offices.
Rule of thumb
Ask whether a provision is enforceable in court: if yes, it is a fundamental right; if it guides policy without direct enforcement, it is a fundamental principle.
Worked example
A question asks whether the principle of free and compulsory education can be enforced directly. It appears among the fundamental principles of state policy, so it guides the state but is not directly enforceable as a fundamental right; a citizen cannot base a writ solely on it. Distinguishing the two parts of the Constitution gives the answer.