Seventeenth Constitution (Seventeenth Amendment) Act 2018
In force. Clause (3) of Article 65, as substituted in 2018, reserves 50 seats for women for 25 years from the first meeting of the Eleventh Parliament, and is printed on bdlaws.
The 50 reserved seats for women were due to end with the Tenth Parliament in January 2019. Without an amendment, the next Parliament would have had only the 300 general seats.
The Tenth Parliament passed the Constitution (Seventeenth Amendment) Bill on 8 July 2018 by 298 votes to none in a division, as reported. Motions for a ten-year term were rejected.
Clause (3) of Article 65 now reserves 50 seats for women until the dissolution of Parliament after twenty-five years from the first meeting of the Parliament following the one in office in 2018, the Eleventh Parliament.
The reserved members are elected by the 300 directly elected members by proportional representation through single transferable vote. Women can also stand for any of the 300 general seats.
The reform proposals discussed since 2024, including in the July National Charter process, cover the representation of women. As reported, no amendment had been enacted by October 2026, so the 2018 clause still governs.
In plain English
Constitution (Seventeenth Amendment) Act 2018
The Seventeenth Amendment extended the 50 seats reserved for women in Parliament. The existing reservation was due to end with the Tenth Parliament in January 2019. The amendment substituted clause (3) of Article 65 so that the 50 seats continue until the dissolution of Parliament after twenty-five years from the first meeting of the Eleventh Parliament. The reserved members are still elected by the 300 directly elected members through proportional representation by single transferable vote, and women may also contest the general seats.
Reform proposals since 2024 have discussed changing how women are represented, but no amendment had been enacted by October 2026.
Background
Seats reserved for women have existed since 1972, but each reservation has been time-limited and has had to be renewed. The Fourteenth Amendment of 2004 set 45 seats, and the Fifteenth Amendment of 2011 raised them to 50. With the Tenth Parliament's term ending in January 2019, the reservation would have lapsed. The Law Minister placed the Bill, and it passed on 8 July 2018. Some opposition and independent members proposed a ten-year term instead, and those motions were rejected, as reported.
What changed
What the Seventeenth Amendment changed, article by article
Article 65
Seventeenth AmendmentClause (3) reserved 50 seats for women for a ten-year period due to end with the Tenth Parliament in January 2019, as reported.
Until the dissolution of Parliament occurring next after the expiration of twenty five years from the first meeting of the Parliament next after the Parliament in existence at the commencement of this Act, fifty seats are reserved exclusively for women members, elected by the aforesaid members.
Section 2 substituted clause (3).
What happened next
What happened to the Seventeenth Amendment next
No court challenge to the Seventeenth Amendment was found. Its clause (3) is printed on bdlaws and has governed the reserved seats since the Eleventh Parliament. Since 2024 the reform commissions and the National Consensus Commission have discussed changes to women's representation, and the July National Charter, backed in the referendum of 12 February 2026, contains reform proposals. As reported, no constitutional amendment had been enacted by October 2026, so the 2018 text remains in force.
Timeline
- Bill passed by the Tenth Parliament, 298 votes to none, as reported
- July National Charter referendum; no amendment yet enacted
Questions
Seventeenth Amendment: frequently asked questions
What did the Seventeenth Amendment do?
It substituted clause (3) of Article 65 to keep 50 seats reserved for women in Parliament for a further twenty-five years, counted from the first meeting of the Eleventh Parliament, instead of letting the reservation lapse in 2019.
How are women's reserved seats filled?
The 50 reserved members are elected by the 300 directly elected members of Parliament by proportional representation through single transferable vote, so the seats follow each party's strength in the House. Women may also contest any of the 300 general seats.
Has the July Charter changed the reserved seats?
Not yet. The Charter contains reform proposals, and voters backed it in the referendum of 12 February 2026, but a constitutional amendment is still needed. As reported, none had been enacted by October 2026, so Article 65(3) as amended in 2018 applies.
Sources
- Laws of Bangladesh: Constitution, Article 65 (footnote on section 2 of Act No. 29 of 2018)
- The Daily Star: 17th amendment to constitution passed (8 July 2018)
- Prothom Alo English: Parliament extends women reserve seats for 25 more yrs (July 2018)
- The Daily Star: Constitutional amendments: JS body to hold discussions with political parties (19 September 2026)
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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