'National Parliament'), often simply referred to as Sangsad and also known as the House of the Nation,[2] is the supreme legislative body of Bangladesh.

[3] On 6 August 2024, President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved parliament after the resignation of Sheikh Hasina and ordered to form an interim government.

Since the December 2008 national election, the majority party has been the Awami League led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

[5] The Constitution of Bangladesh designates the official name of the legislature Jatiya Sangsad (জাতীয় সংসদ) in Bengali and House of the Nation in English.

[8] Article 67[8] states that members absent without leave for 90 consecutive sitting days will lose their membership.

Attending sessions without being a member (even if memberships are cancelled in retrospect) results in a BDT1,000 (US$11.75) fine per day, per Article 69.

[8] Floor crossing is described in the Constitution as:[8] The only case of floor crossing in Bangladeshi history due the stringent article was when members M. A. Mannan and Mahi B. Chowdhury defected from the Bangladesh National Party to form a new party, Bikolpo Dhara.

[9] The prime objective of banning floor crossing is to prevent members from joining other parties for personal gains or to induce disloyalty.

[13][14] The president must appoint a prime minister who, in his reasoned opinion, commands the confidence of the majority of the House.

[8] The Parliament can form any parliamentary standing committees as it sees fit such as for the purposes of examining bills, reviewing government policy and any other matter of public importance.

Political scientists, judges in the Supreme Court, public intellectuals, newspapers and journalists, civil rights activists and many members of parliament have demanded reform of the article.

Additionally, it significantly limits the checks and balances on the prime minister, as there are few means by which s/he can be legally dismissed under the constitution or even held to basic scrutiny with repercussions.

In Bangladesh, the parliament usually reflects the will of the government, not vice versa as in a well-functioning parliamentary democracy.

The checks and balances then formed on the prime minister and their cabinet are by civil servants in the Bangladesh Administrative Service and the courts, which are usually too docile to challenge the executive.

The Parliament Secretariat, headed by a senior secretary from the Bangladesh Administrative Service, is in charge of all its supporting and advisory duties such as keeping a record of members' voting, speeches, advising on protocol, general clerical, broadcasting and information activities.

The parliament is housed in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban (জাতীয় সংসদ ভবন Jatiyô Sôngsôd Bhôbôn), located at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka.

Designed by the American architect Louis Kahn, the building is one of the largest legislative complexes in the world, comprising 200 acres (81 ha).

[24][25] Louis Kahn designed the entire Jatiya Sangsad complex, which includes lawns, lake and residences for the members of the Parliament (MPs).

The library was established in 1972, after the immediate formation of the Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh to support the lawmakers and their staff.

Although the library is open to the public, only current and former members of Parliament, secretariat staff, and authorised researchers may check out books and materials.