Order of precedence in Bangladesh

The order of precedence in Bangladesh, officially known as Warrant of Precedence, is a symbolic hierarchy that lays down the relative precedence in terms of ranks of important functionaries belonging to the executive, legislative and judicial organs of the state, including members of the foreign diplomatic corps. When a person holds more than one position, the highest position is considered. The Warrant of Precedence was challenged by a writ petition. On November 10, 2016, the Appellate Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court issued a full judgment on the writ of Warrant of Precedence.[1] The Government filed a review petition, thought the Appellate Division did not stay the execution of the judgment. Cabinet division revised and published a new warrant of precedence in July 2020 which contradicts the judgement of the Supreme Court on Warrant of Precedence.[2][3]

Order

Order of Precedence of Bangladesh (Revised and Updated up to the latest amendment)
Rank Position
1
2
3

By Seniority:

3A
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
  • Deputy Ministers of the Republic (Independent Charge of Divisions)
11
  • Envoys Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary accredited to Bangladesh
  • Persons holding appointments accorded status of Deputy Minister
    • District Administrators & Chairmen, District Councils (if elected) within their respective charges
12
13
14
  • Visiting Ambassadors and High Commissioners not accredited to Bangladesh
15
16
17
18
  • Mayors of City Corporations (within the jurisdiction of their respective corporation)
19
20
21
22

By Seniority:

  • Commissioners of Divisions outside their respective charges
  • Principals of Government Medical Colleges
  • Directors of Government Medical College Hospitals
  • President, Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee
  • Controller of Certifying Authorities
  • Director of Inspection and Audit
  • Deputy Directors General, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics
  • Directors, Local Government Division within their respective charges
  • Postmasters General
  • Collectors of Customs and Excise within their respective charges
  • Joint Secretaries to the Government in departmental deputation and attachments
  • Ministers-Consular to the Diplomatic Missions of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Abroad
  • Consulars of Embassies, High Commissions, and Legations of Foreign and Commonwealth Government
  • Joint Chief, Planning Commission
  • District Administrators & Chairmen, District Councils (if elected) outside their respective charges
  • Professors of State Universities
  • Additional Chief Judicial Magistrates/Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrates/Joint Metropolitan Sessions Judges/Joint District and Sessions Judges (Subordinate Judge)
  • Additional Divisional Commissioners within their respective charges
  • Additional Deputy Inspector-Generals of Police within their respective charges
  • Officers of the substantive rank of Full Colonel in the Army and equivalent in the Navy and the Air Force, having completed at least 25 years of cumulative commissioned service
22A
  • Assistant Attorneys General
  • Assistant High Commissioners to the Assistant High Commissions of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Abroad
  • Chairmen of the Regional Boards of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education
  • Principals of Government Colleges (Category A)
  • Officers of the status of Joint Secretary to the Government
    • Deputy Inspectors General of Registration
    • Director of Administration Wing to the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education
    • Directors, Rural Development Board
    • Directors, Department of Narcotics Control
    • Directors, Directorate General of Health Services
    • Directors, Department of Social Services
    • Director(s), Department of Women Affairs
    • Directors (Sr Grade), Department of Immigration and Passports
    • Directors (Sr Grade) to the Anti Corruption Commission
  • Professors of Government Medical Colleges
  • Additional Commissioners of Taxes within their respective charges
  • Military, Naval, and Air Attaché to Embassies and Legations and Military, Naval, and Air Advisors to High Commissions
  • Chief Commercial Managers, Bangladesh Railway
  • Consulars/Counsellors in Selection-Grade to the Diplomatic Missions of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Abroad
23
  • Mayors of City Corporations outside their respective charges
  • Consulars/Counsellors to the Diplomatic Missions of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Abroad
24

By Seniority:

  • Chief Accounts and Finance Officers within their respective charges
  • Divisional Controllers of Accounts within their respective charges
  • Commandants (Director), Rapid Action Battalion (Acting Full Colonel) within their respective charges
  • Assistant Inspector-Generals of Police (Superintendent of Police in Selection-Grade) within their respective charges
  • Deputy Commissioners-cum-District Collectors & District Magistrates within their respective charges
  • Principals of Government Colleges (Category B)
  • District Superintendents of Police within their respective charges
  • Additional Collectors of Customs within their respective charges
  • Directors to the Anti-Corruption Commission
  • Military Estates Administrators within their respective charges
  • Superintending Engineers within their respective charges -
    • Public Works Department
    • Roads and Highways Department
    • Local Government Engineering Department
  • Consuls to the Consulates of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Abroad
  • Deputy Inspector-Generals of Prisons within their respective charges
  • Officers of the substantive rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Army and equivalent in the Navy and the Air Force, having completed at least 20 years of cumulative commissioned service
  • Deputy Commissioners of Metropolitan Police Commissionerates within their respective charges
  • Conservators of Forests
24A

By Seniority:

  • Full Professors of Government Colleges in Selection Grade
  • Divisional Directors, in-charge of Divisional or equivalent Offices of their Respective Departments and Directorates General within their respective charges –
    • Land Reform Board (Deputy Land Reform Commissioner)
    • Department of Land Records and Surveys (Zonal Settlement Officer)
    • Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party (Director)
    • Department of Agricultural Extension (Additional Director)
    • Seed Certification Agency (Regional Seed Certification Officer)
    • Bangladesh Railway (Divisional Railway Manager)
    • Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (Regional Director)
    • Department of Immigration and Passports (Director)
    • Department of Livestock Services (Director)
    • Department of Fisheries (Director)
    • Directorate General of Family Planning (Director)
    • Department of Environment (Director)
    • Directorate of Technical Education (Director)
    • Directorate General of Food (Director)
    • Bangladesh Election Commission (Regional Election Officer)
    • Department of Labour (Director)
    • Mass Communication Department (Director/Senior Deputy Principal Information Officer)
    • Imports and Exports Control Department (Controller of Imports & Exports)
  • Principals of Government Colleges (Category C)
  • Mayors (if elected) of class I Municipalities within their respective charges
  • Chairmen (if elected) of Sub-district Councils within their respective charges
  • Joint Commissioners of Taxes within their respective charges
  • Special Superintendents of Police
  • Senior Deputy Secretaries to the Government including
    • Chief Executive Officers of District Councils
    • Chief Executive Officers of City Corporations
  • Directors of their Respective Directorates and the Secretariat –
    • Audit Directorates
    • Revenue Directorates
    • Prime Minister's Secretariat
    • Ministry of Foreign Affairs
    • Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics
    • Directorate of Posts
  • Additional Directors of their Respective Departments and Directorates General –
    • Directorate General of Family Planning
    • Directorate General of Food (Regional Controller of Food)
    • Department of Social Services
    • Department of Livestock Services (Divisional Livestock Officer)
    • Department of Narcotics Control
    • Department of Women Affairs
  • Principals of Government Colleges (Category D)
  • Joint Director of Department of Inspection and Audit
  • Joint Directors, Rural Development Board
  • Joint Directors (Lt. Col.) of Intelligence
  • Deputy Serjeants-at-Arms of the Parliament
25
  • Full Professors of Government Colleges
25A
  • Deputy Secretaries to the government including
    • Deputy Directors of Local Government
    • Secretaries of City Corporations
    • Secretaries of Development Authorities
    • Secretaries of Regional Boards of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (of the status of College Professor)
    • Chief Revenue Officers of City Corporations
    • Chief Audit and Accounts Officers of City Corporations
    • Chief Estates Officers of City Corporations
    • Chief Health Officers of City Corporations
    • Chief Conservancy Officers of City Corporations
    • Chief Planning Officers of City Corporations
    • Senior Planners of Urban Development Directorate
  • Senior Judicial Magistrates/Metropolitan Magistrates (First Class Magistrate)/Senior Civil Judges (Senior Assistant Judge)
  • District Directors (G-4), in-charge of District or equivalent Offices of their Respective Departments and Directorates General within their respective charges –
    • Deputy Directors (Senior Grade) of Anti-Corruption Commission
    • Deputy Directors (Senior Grade) of Narcotics Control Department
    • Deputy Directors of Health Services
    • Deputy Directors of Social Services
    • Deputy Directors of Rural Development
    • Deputy Directors of Secondary and Higher Education (of the status of College Professor)
    • Deputy Directors of Inspection and Audit (of the status of College Professor)
    • Deputy Directors of Agricultural Extension
    • Deputy Directors of Livestock Services
    • Deputy Directors of Fisheries
    • Deputy Directors of Family Planning
    • Deputy Directors of Fire Service and Civil Defence (Divisional in-charge of Fire Service and Civil Defence)
  • Controllers of Examinations, Regional Boards of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (of the status of College Professor)
    Inspectors, Regional Boards of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (of the status of College Professor)
  • Inspectors of Registration Offices
  • Executive Engineers within their respective charges -
    • Public Works Department
    • Roads and Highways Department
  • Civil Surgeons within their respective charges
  • Assistant Registrars of the Supreme Court
  • First Secretaries to the Diplomatic Missions of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Abroad
  • Divisional Forest Officers of Forest Divisions within their respective charges
  • Officers of the substantive rank of Major in the Army and equivalent in the Navy and the Air Force, having completed at least 16 years of cumulative commissioned service or having held the rank for not less than a period of 7 years
  • Officers of the status of Deputy Secretary to the Government -
    • Joint Controllers of Imports and Exports
    • Senior District Election Officers
    • Additional District Magistrates
      Additional Deputy Commissioners
    • Additional Deputy Commissioners of Police
      Additional Superintendents of Police (Senior Grade)
    • Deputy Commissioners of Revenue (Taxes / Customs, Excise & VAT)
      Joint Collectors of Customs
    • District Commandants of Ansar (Senior Grade)
    • Cantonment Executive Officers
  • System Analysts to the Government
26
  • Senior Jail Superintendents
    Assistant Inspector-Generals of Prisons
  • Additional Superintendents of Police
  • Sub-district Executive Officers
    • ex officio Chief Executive Officers of Sub-district Councils
  • District Officers, in-charge of District Offices of their Respective Departments and Directorates General within their respective charges –
    • District Election Officers
    • District Education Officers
    • District Primary Education Officers
    • District Seed Certification Officers
    • District Livestock Officers
    • District Fisheries Officers
    • Deputy Inspectors General of Factories and Establishments
    • Deputy Directors of Mass Communication Department
    • Deputy Directors of Immigration and Passport Department
    • Deputy Directors of Youth Development Department
    • Deputy Directors of Women Affairs Department
    • Deputy Directors of Narcotics Control Department
    • Deputy Directors of District Statistics Offices
    • District Commandants of Ansar (Paramilitary)
    • District Registrars
    • District Accounts and Finance Officers
    • District Probation Officers
    • Deputy Postmasters General
    • District Information Officers
    • District Food Controllers
    • District ICT Officers
    • Deputy Controllers of Imports and Exports
    • District Relief and Rehabilitation Officers of Disaster Management Department
  • Officers of the rank of Major in the Army and equivalent in the Navy and the Air Force, having held the rank for less than a period of 7 years

The Warrant of Constitutional Precedence and Institutional Preeminence governing the Judiciary, Civil Administration, Military, and Police forces

Position Judiciary Armed Forces (Substantive Rank) Police Service Civil Administration Revenue Service (Taxes and Customs Excise & VAT) Audit & Accounts Service
3
  • Chief Justice of the Republic
7
  • Justice of the Supreme Court (Appellate Division)
8
  • Justice of the Supreme Court (High Court Division)
9
  • Comptroller and Auditor General
12
  • Full General and Four-Star rank officer
    • Chief of Army Staff
    • Chief of Naval Staff
    • Chief of Air Staff
  • Cabinet Secretary
  • Principal Secretary of the Prime Minister's Secretariat
13
  • Inspector-General of Police
15
  • Registrar General of the Supreme Court
  • Principal Secretary of Justice
  • (Principal) Secretary of Armed Forces
  • Lieutenant General and Three-Star rank officer
  • Special Inspector-General of Police
  • Chief of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Department
  • Secretary General (Chief Secretary)
  • Principal Secretary
    Senior Secretary to the Government
  • Chairman, National Board of Revenue
16
  • Registrar of the Supreme Court
  • Senior District and Sessions Judge
  • Major General and Two-Star rank officer posted as General Officer Commanding
  • Additional Inspector-General of Police in Selection Grade
  • Director General of Police
  • Secretary to the Government
  • Senior Member, National Board of Revenue
  • President of the NBR Appellate Tribunal
  • Chief Commissioner of Taxes
  • Chief Commissioner of Customs, Excise & VAT
  • Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General - Senior
  • Controller General of Accounts
  • Controller General of Defence Finance (Military Accountant General)
17
  • Registrar of the Supreme Court
  • District and Sessions Judge
  • Metropolitan Sessions Judge
  • Additional Inspector-General of Police
  • Officer of the status of Secretary to the Government
19
  • Additional Registrar of the Supreme Court
  • Director General of A - Category Department
  • Special Secretary to the Government
  • Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General
20
  • Additional Registrar of the Supreme Court
  • Chief Judicial Magistrate
  • Chief Metropolitan Magistrate
  • Additional District and Sessions Judge
  • Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge
  • Director General of B - Category Department
  • Commissioner of Division
  • Additional Secretary to the Government
  • Chief Finance Controller of Army/Navy/Air Force/Defence Purchase/Works (Defence Department/Force Accountant General) – Formerly Senior Finance Controller of Defence Department/Armed Force
  • Additional Controller General of Accounts
21
  • Brigadier General and One-Star rank officer (More than 29 years of Commissioned Service)
  • Deputy Inspector-General of Police
  • Commissioner of Police
  • Additional Commissioner of Police (DMP)
  • Director General of C - Category Department
  • Officer of the status of Additional Secretary to the Government
  • Senior Joint Secretary to the Government
  • Commissioner of Taxes
  • Collector of Customs and Excise in Selection-Grade
  • Director General of Audit Directorate
22
  • Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court
  • Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate
  • Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate
  • Joint District and Sessions Judge
  • Joint Metropolitan Sessions Judge
  • Colonel and equivalent (More than 25 years of Commissioned Service)
  • Additional Deputy Inspector-General of Police
  • Additional Commissioner of Police
  • Joint Commissioner of Police (DMP)
  • Divisional Director (of Local Government)
  • Additional Commissioner of Division
  • Officer of the status of Joint Secretary to the Government
  • Collector of Customs and Excise
  • Additional Commissioner of Taxes
  • Additional Chief Finance Controller of Army/Navy/Air Force/Defence Purchase/Works

(Additional Defence Department/Force Accountant General)

24
  • Lieutenant Colonel and equivalent (More than 20 years of Commissioned Service)
  • Assistant Inspector-General of Police
  • District Superintendent of Police
  • Deputy Commissioner of Police
  • Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Collector & District Magistrate
  • Senior Deputy Secretary
  • CEO of City Corporation
  • CEO of District Council
  • Director of Revenue Directorate (CIID, VAIID, CIC, ITIIU)
  • Additional Collector of Customs and Excise
  • Joint Commissioner of Taxes
  • Chief Accounts and Finance Officer
  • Divisional Controller of Accounts
  • Joint Controller General of Defence Finance (Joint Military Accountant General)
    Area Finance Controller
  • Additional Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General
  • Director of Audit Directorate
25 & 26
  • Assistant Registrar of the Supreme Court
  • Senior Judicial Magistrate
  • Metropolitan Magistrate
  • Senior Civil Judge
  • Major and equivalent (More than 16 years of Commissioned Service)
  • Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police
  • Additional Superintendent of Police
  • District Director
  • Deputy Secretary
  • Deputy Director of Local Government
  • Additional District Magistrate
  • Additional Deputy Commissioner
  • Sub-district Executive Officer
  • Joint Collector of Customs and Excise
  • Deputy Commissioner of Taxes
  • Deputy Controller General of Accounts
  • Deputy Controller General of Defence Finance (Deputy Military Accountant General)
  • Deputy Chief Accounts and Finance Officer
  • Deputy Divisional Controller of Accounts
  • Assistant Comptroller and Auditor General
  • Deputy Director of Audit

References

  • "Warrant of Precedence" (PDF).

Order

Order of Precedence of Bangladesh, 1986 (Revised)
Rank Position
1
2
3
4
5
6
  • Persons holding status of a Minister without being members of the Cabinet
7
8
9
10
  • Deputy Ministers of the Republic
11
  • Persons holding appointments accorded status of a Deputy Minister
  • Envoys Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary accredited to Bangladesh
12
13
14
  • Visiting Ambassadors and High Commissioners not accredited to Bangladesh
15
16
  • Chairman of University Grants Commission
  • Members of the Planning Commission
  • Officers of the substantive rank of Major General in the Army and equivalent in the Navy and Air Force
  • Secretaries to the Government including Secretary to the Parliament
  • District and Sessions Judges
  • Registrars of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh
17
18
  • Mayors of City Corporations (within the jurisdiction of their respective corporation)
19
20
21
22
  • Additional Chief Engineers of Government Departments
  • Collectors of Customs and Excise within their respective charges
  • Commissioners of Divisions outside their respective charges
  • Consulars of Embassies, High Commissions, and Legations of Foreign and Commonwealth Government
  • Additional Directors-General, Health Services
  • Postmasters General
  • Consulars/Counsellors to the Diplomatic Missions of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Abroad
  • Joint Chief, Planning Commission
  • Additional Chief Judicial Magistrates/Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrates/Joint District and Sessions Judges/Joint Metropolitan Sessions Judges
  • Professors of State Universities
  • Principals of Government Medical Colleges
  • Officers of the substantive rank of Full Colonel in the Army and equivalent in the Navy and the Air Force
23
  • Chairmen, Regional Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education
  • Additional Divisional Commissioners within their respective charges
  • Additional Deputy Inspector Generals of Police (within their respective charges)
  • Mayors of City Corporations outside their respective charges
  • Principals of Government Colleges
  • Military, Naval, and Air Attaché to Embassies and Legations and Military, Naval, and Air Advisors to High Commissions
  • Professors of Government Medical Colleges
24
  • Chairmen of the District Councils within their respective charges
  • Deputy Commissioners and District Magistrates within their respective charges
  • District Superintendents of Police
  • Commandant of Bangladesh Marine Academy
  • Officers of the substantive rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Army and equivalent in the Navy and the Air Force, having completed at least 18 years of cumulative commissioned service
25
  • Special Superintendents of Police
  • Deputy Secretaries to the Government
  • Civil Surgeons within their respective charges
  • Chairmen of Upazila Parishad (if elected) within their respective charges
  • Mayors of Municipalities (if elected) within their respective charges
  • Officers of the substantive rank of Major in the Army and equivalent in the Navy and the Air Foce, having completed at least 15 years of cumulative commissioned service

References