Article 54 The Speaker as acting President
Speaker to act as President during absence, etc.
It guarantees that state business needing the President's signature, such as assent to Bills or appointments, can continue without interruption.
The office of President falls vacant through death, resignation or removal, or the President is temporarily unable to act because of absence, illness or another cause. State business that needs the President's signature cannot simply stop.
The Speaker of Parliament discharges the functions of the President. The Speaker's oath in the Third Schedule already includes a promise to discharge the duties of the President whenever called upon to do so, so no separate appointment or election is needed.
As acting President, the Speaker can sign orders, assent to Bills and make appointments, acting on the Prime Minister's advice in the same way as the President. If impeachment is needed during this period, Article 52(5) gives the Deputy Speaker the Speaker's procedural role.
The arrangement ends when Parliament elects a new President who takes the oath and enters upon office, or when the President recovers or returns and is able to resume the functions of the office after an absence or illness. The Speaker then returns to presiding over Parliament.
In plain English
How Article 54 works
Article 54 makes sure someone can always perform the President's duties. If the office of President becomes vacant, for example through death, resignation or removal, the Speaker of Parliament steps in. The same applies if the President is temporarily unable to act because of absence abroad, illness or any other cause. The Speaker carries out the President's functions only until a new President is elected or the President is able to resume duties. While acting as President, the Speaker remains subject to the Constitution, and under Article 52(5) can be impeached in that role.
In practice
Speakers have acted as President on a number of occasions, both during a President's travel or medical treatment abroad and after a vacancy. The arrangement assumes that a Speaker is in office. The events of 2024 showed the limits of the design: after Parliament was dissolved on 6 August 2024, the constitutional machinery depending on Parliament could not operate, and the President relied on the Appellate Division's advisory opinion of 8 August 2024 to form an interim government. Any change to this succession rule would require a constitutional amendment, and none had been enacted as of 2026 reporting.
The text
What Article 54 says
54. If a vacancy occurs in the office of President or if the President is unable to discharge the functions of his office on account of absence, illness or any other cause the Speaker shall discharge those functions until a President is elected or until the President resumes the functions of his office, as the case may be.
English text as published on the official Laws of Bangladesh website. The Bangla text is authoritative (Article 153). Where a court has changed the position, the status note above explains it.
History
Amendments
- Twelfth Amendment 1991 →Chapters I, II and III of Part IV were substituted for the former Chapters I and II by section 3 of Act XXVIII of 1991, restoring the parliamentary system of government.
Connected provisions
Related articles
Questions
Article 54: frequently asked questions
Who acts as President of Bangladesh when the President is absent?
The Speaker of Parliament. Under Article 54, if the President's office is vacant or the President cannot act because of absence, illness or another cause, the Speaker discharges the President's functions until a President is elected or the President resumes office.
Is there a Vice-President in Bangladesh?
No. The office of Vice-President existed under the presidential system but was removed when the parliamentary system was restored in 1991. Today the Speaker is the constitutional substitute for the President under Article 54.
Sources
- Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Article 54 (Laws of Bangladesh)
- The Financial Express: Interim government formed on SC nod (10 August 2024)
This guide explains the Constitution for general understanding. It is not legal advice. Constitutional reform proposals under discussion in 2026 are described as proposals until enacted.
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