Bangladesh Appellate Division Restores Caretaker Government System

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh has delivered a landmark verdict, declaring the abolition of the non-party caretaker government (CG) system unconstitutional and illegal. This decision effectively reinstates the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which had established the system for overseeing national elections.

The full seven-judge Appellate Division bench, headed by Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refat Ahmed, pronounced the historic verdict this morning (November 20, 2025).

The bench included Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refat Ahmed, Justice Md. Ashfaqul Islam, Justice Zubair Rahman Chowdhury, Justice Md. Rezaul Haque, Justice SM Imdadul Haque, Justice AKM Asaduzzaman, and Justice Farah Mahbub. Restoration of the 13th Amendment: The court declared the 13th Amendment, which introduced the CG system in 1996, as valid, thus reversing the Supreme Court's earlier 2011 verdict that had declared the system illegal and the subsequent 15th Amendment that had formally scrapped it.

Implementation for Future Elections: The court clarified that while the Caretaker Government system is now restored constitutionally, the upcoming 13th national government election will be held under the Interim Government (or "interim government" as referenced in the provided text) currently in power. The fully restored constitutional Caretaker Government system is set to come into effect from the 14th parliamentary election onward.

The courtroom was reportedly packed with lawyers and media personnel as the judgment was delivered, highlighting the high national significance of the political and constitutional matter.