Schedule 2 · Second Schedule Former rules on electing the President
Election of President (omitted)
It explains why the Schedules jump from the First to the Third. Readers looking for the rules on presidential elections need to turn to Article 48 and the Presidential Election Act.
Omitted by the Constitution (Fourth Amendment) Act 1975 (Act II of 1975), section 31, according to the bdlaws Schedule text.
The original Constitution of 1972 provided for a President elected by Parliament, with the Second Schedule setting out how that election was to be conducted. It sat alongside Article 48, which created the office of President.
In January 1975 the Fourth Amendment changed the system of government and omitted the Second Schedule, by section 31. Presidential elections today follow Article 48 and the Presidential Election Act 1991, with Parliament once again electing the President.
In plain English
How Second Schedule works
The Second Schedule no longer exists. In the original 1972 Constitution it set out rules for the election of the President, who was then chosen by Members of Parliament under Article 48. The Fourth Amendment of January 1975 introduced a presidential system with a directly elected President and omitted this Schedule. After the return to parliamentary government in 1991, presidential elections by MPs were restored under Article 48, but the procedure is now set by an ordinary law, the Presidential Election Act 1991, rather than by a Schedule. Only the editorial note recording the omission remains in the official text.
In practice
The omission of the Second Schedule has no continuing legal effect, but it is relevant to understanding the constitutional history. Since the Twelfth Amendment of 1991, Members of Parliament elect the President under Article 48, and the procedure, conducted by the Election Commission, is set by the Presidential Election Act 1991. The numbering of the remaining Schedules was not changed when the Second Schedule was omitted, which is why the Constitution still refers to the Third and Fourth Schedules.
The text
What Second Schedule says
[Second Schedule Election of President omitted by the Constitution (Fourth Amendment) Act. 1975 (Act II of 1975), section 31.]
Key clauses shown. Omitted text is marked with an ellipsis; read the full text on the official site.
English text as published on the official Laws of Bangladesh website. Where a court has changed the position, the status note above explains it.
History
Amendments
- Fourth Amendment 1975Omitted the Second Schedule (section 31).
Connected provisions
Related articles
Questions
Second Schedule: frequently asked questions
What was the Second Schedule of the Constitution of Bangladesh?
It set out rules for the election of the President in the original 1972 Constitution. It was omitted by section 31 of the Constitution (Fourth Amendment) Act 1975 and has not been restored, so there is currently no Second Schedule.
How is the President of Bangladesh elected now?
Members of Parliament elect the President under Article 48. The procedure is set out in the Presidential Election Act 1991, and the Election Commission conducts the election, rather than a Schedule to the Constitution.
Sources
- Laws of Bangladesh: Schedules to the Constitution (PDF)
- Laws of Bangladesh: The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
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.
Constitutional and writ practice
Need to rely on Second Schedule?
Our lawyers advise on writ petitions, fundamental rights and public law before the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.