The Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad has 300 seats. All the members are directly elected. The tenure of the parliament is five years.

The parliament is a sovereign body with a separate secretariat. The Speaker, along with the Deputy Speaker, Whips and panel of chairmen run the sessions of Parliament.

In the present eighth parliament, Bangladesh Nationalist Party commands absolute majority. Bangladesh Awami League, Jamaat-e-Islami and the Jatiya Party are the three other major political parties with significant representations in the parliament. There are parliamentary standing committees for different ministries, which serve as parliamentary watchdogs over the activities of the government.

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF BANGLADESH