<%-- Page Title--%> For Your Information <%-- End Page Title--%>

June 6, 2004 

The 14th Amendment of the Constitution

1. Short title and commencement. -- (1) This Act may be called the Constitution (Fourteenth Amendment) Act, 2004.
(2) This Act shall come into force at once.
2. Insertion of article 4A in the Constitution. -- In the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, hereinafter referred to as the Constitution, after article 4, the following new article shall be inserted, namely:
"4A. Portrait. (1) Portrait of the President shall be preserved and displayed at the offices of the President, Prime Minister and Speaker, and all embassies and missions of Bangladesh abroad.
(2) In addition to clause (1), Portrait, of only the Prime Minister, shall be preserved and displayed at the offices of the President and the Speaker, and in head and branch offices of all government and semi-government offices, autonomous bodies statutory public authorities, government education institutions, embassies and missions of Bangladesh abroad."
3. Amendment of article 65 of the Constitution. -- In the Constitution, in article 65 for clause (3), the following clause (3) shall be substituted, namely:
"(3) Until the dissolution of Parliament occurring next after the expiration of the period of ten years beginning from the date of the first meeting of the Parliament next after the Parliament in existence at the time of the commencement of the Constitution (Fourteenth Amendment) Act, 2004, there shall be reserved forty five seats exclusively for women members and they will be elected by the aforesaid members in accordance with law on the basis of procedure of proportional representation in the Parliament through single transferable vote:
Provided that nothing in this clause shall be deemed to prevent a woman from being elected to any of the seats provided for in clause (2) of this article."
4. Amendment of article 96 of the Constitution. -- In the Constitution, in Clause (1) of article 96, for the word "sixty-five," the word "sixty-seven" shall be substituted.
5. Amendment of article 129 of the Constitution. -- In the Constitution, in article 129, for clause (1), the following clause shall be substituted, namely:
"(1) The Auditor-General shall, subject to the provisions of this article, hold office for five years from the date on which he entered upon his office, or until he attains the age of sixty-five years, whichever is earlier."
6. Amendment of article 139 of the Constitution. -- In the Constitution, in clause (1) of article 139, for the word "sixty-two," the word "sixty-five" shall be substituted.
7. Amendment of article 148 of the Constitution. -- In the Constitution, in article 148, after clause (2), the following new clause shall be inserted, namely:
"(2A) If, within three days next after publication through official Gazette of the result of a general election of members of Parliament under clause (3) of article 123, the person specified under the Constitution for the purpose or such other person designated by that person for the purpose, is unable to, or does not, administer oath to the newly elected members of Parliament, on any account, the Chief Election Commissioner shall administer such oath within three days next thereafter, as if, he is the person specified under the Constitution for the purpose."
8. Amendment of the Fourth Schedule to the Constitution. -- In the Constitution, in the Fourth Schedule, after paragraph 22, the new following paragraph 23 shall be added, namely:
"23. Temporary special provision regarding women members in the Parliament. -- (1) For the residual period of the Parliament in existence at the time of the commencement of the Constitution (Fourteenth Amendment) Act, 2004, there shall be reserved forty five seats exclusively for women members and they will be elected by the members of the Parliament in accordance with law on the basis of procedure of proportional representation in the Parliament through single transferable vote.
(2) During the period mentioned in sub-paragraph (1), the Parliament shall consist of the three hundred members mentioned in clause (2) of article 65 and the forty five women members mentioned in sub-paragraph (1) of this paragraph."