Lesson 3/44 min
Amendments 15–17 and court rulings
15th to 17th
| Amendment | When | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| 15th | 2011 | The four 1972 principles restored; caretaker government abolished; reserved women's seats raised from 45 to 50; Bangabandhu recognised as Father of the Nation; Articles 7A and 7B inserted; Islam as state religion and Bismillah kept |
| 16th | September 2014 | Parliament given the power to impeach Supreme Court judges (Article 96) |
| 17th | 8 July 2018 | 50 reserved women's seats kept for 25 more years; passed 298–0 |
Watch out: Sources differ on the 15th's date: one book and Banglapedia say 25 June 2011, news reports say it passed on 30 June and received the President's assent on 3 July. Only the year 2011 is given here.
Amendments struck down by the courts
| Amendment | Ruling |
|---|---|
| 5th | High Court 29 August 2005; Appellate Division 2 February 2010 |
| 7th | High Court 2010; Appellate Division 2011 |
| 13th | Appellate Division 10 May 2011 (caretaker system struck down) |
| 16th | High Court 5 May 2016; Appellate Division 3 July 2017; the power to remove judges returns to the Supreme Judicial Council |
Watch out: One book gives ‘4 August 2008, struck down’ as the High Court date for the 13th. Other sources say the High Court upheld it in 2004 and the Appellate Division struck it down in 2011, so the High Court date is left out here.
Check yourself
By what vote did the 17th Amendment pass?
At a glance
- 1
15th (2011): four principles restored, caretaker government abolished, women's seats 50.
- 2
16th (2014): Parliament gets the power to impeach judges; the Appellate Division struck it down on 3 July 2017.
- 3
17th (8 July 2018): 50 women's seats for 25 more years; passed 298–0.
- 4
5th struck down by the Appellate Division on 2 February 2010; 13th on 10 May 2011.