The Supreme Court released the full text of its verdict disposing of the long-pending dispute over the impugned state-level hierarchy—Warrant of Precedence on 9 November 2016.
A five-member Appellate Division bench of the Supreme Court, headed by then chief justice M Muzammel Hossain, passed the order with expunction, modification, observation and findings.
The president and the prime minister hold the 1st and 2nd position respectively, according to the Warrant of Precedence.
According to the SC observation, the rank of chief justice will be equivalent to that of the speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad.
The Appellate Division judges will be upgraded to the position of the full minister instead of the state minister while judges of the High Court get the status of the state minister.
Since the attorney general, the chief government law officer, holds the constitutional post, his position will be above all secretaries of the Republic while the position of the member of parliament (MP) will be above the cabinet secretary, the chiefs of the three services and principal secretary.
As the district judges head the subordinate courts, their position will be the upgraded one equivalent to secretary of the Republic.
Similarly, additional district judge will hold the position next to the district judges.
It is still unofficial but the indication of Supreme court Warrant of Precedence should look something like the following.
- President of the Republic
- Prime Minister of the Republic
- Head of Branches
- Speaker of the Parliament (Head of Legislative branch)
- Chief Justice of Bangladesh (Head of Judiciary Branch)
- Former Presidents of the Republic
- Cabinet Ministers of the Republic
- Chairmen of Parliamentary Committee in Parliament committee meeting (According to parliamentary rules of procedures, they are chairman of a committee where ministers are members and their protocol precedes ministers protocol)
- Chief Whip
- Deputy Speaker of the Parliament
- Leader of the Opposition in Parliament
- Deputy Leader of the House
- Persons holding appointments accorded status of a Minister without being members of the Cabinet
- Mayor of Dhaka North
- Mayor of Dhaka South
- Judges of the Supreme Court (Appellate Division)
- Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and High Commissioners of Commonwealth countries accredited to Bangladesh
- Ministers of State of the Republic and equivalent
- Chief Election Commissioner
- Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission
- Deputy leader of the Opposition in Parliament
- Whip of ruling party
- Chief Whip of opposition (According to the protocol they receive inside the parliament)
- Persons holding appointments accorded status of State Minister
- Chairman of Parliamentary Committee (as they carry flag of parliament)
- Election Commissioners
- Judges of the Supreme Court (High Court Division)
- Persons holding appointments accorded status of a Minister of State
- Mayor of Narayanganj
- Deputy Ministers of the Republic
- Persons holding appointments accorded status of Deputy Minister
- Envoys Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary accredited to Bangladesh
- Persons holding appointments accorded status of a Deputy Minister and High Commissioners not accredited to Bangladesh
- Whip of opposition (Their protocol precedes MP's protocol)
- (Constitutional post and representative of the people above all officers)
- Member of Parliament
- (Constitutional post who are above the senior most government officers)
- Officers of the rank of General in the Army (four star)
- Officers of the rank of Admiral in Navy(four star)
- Officers of the rank of Air Chief Marshal in Air Force (four star)
- Attorney-General
- Cabinet Secretary
- Visiting Ambassadors and High Commissioners not accredited to Bangladesh.
- Officers of the rank of Lieutenant General in the Army
- Officers of the rank of Vice Admiral in Navy
- Officers of the rank of Air Chief Marshal in Air Force
- Comptroller and Auditor-General Ombudsman
- Governor, Bangladesh Bank
- Senior Secretaries of the government and equivalent
- Chairman, Public Service Commission
- Chairman, University Grants Commission
- Inspector General of Police
- Members, Planning Commission
- Officers of the rank of Major General in the Army and equivalent in the Navy and the Air force (two star)
- Secretaries to the Government including Secretary to the Parliament.
- Chargés d'affaires en pied of foreign countries
- Director General of the National Security Intelligence
- Full-time Members, University Grants Commission. National Professors
- Officers holding the status of Secretaries to the Government.
- Vice-chancellors of Universities
- District Judges or equivalent.
- Additional District Judges or holder of equivalent judicial posts
- Additional Secretaries to the Government
- Mayors of City Corporations within the jurisdiction of their respective Corporations
- Additional Attorney-General
- Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission
- Chairman, Board of Land Administration
- Chairman, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation
- Chairman, Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation
- Chairman, Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation
- Chairman, Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation
- Chairman, Bangladesh Power Development Board
- Chairman, Bangladesh Steel and Engineering Corporation
- Chairman, Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation
- Chairman, Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation
- Chairman, Bangladesh Water Development Board
- Chairman, Tariff Commission
- Chargés d'affaires ad interim of foreign countries
- Director-General of Anti-Corruption
- Executive Vice-Chairman, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council
- Managing Director, Bangladesh Krishi Bank
- Managing Director, Sonali Bank
- Professors of Universities in Selection Grade
- Visiting Ambassadors and High Commissioners of Bangladesh
- (Rank of Additional secretary)
- Chairman, Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
- Chairman, Tea Board
- Chairman, Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board
- Chief Architect to the Government
- Chief Conservator of Forests
- Chief Engineer, Roads and Highways Department
- Chief Engineer, Public Works Department
- Executive Chairman, Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority
- Director-General, Department of Agriculture Extension
- Director of Fisheries
- Director-General of Health Services
- Director of Livestock Services
- Director-General of Primary Education
- Director-General of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education
- Director-General of Technical Education
- Division Chief, Planning Commission
- Managing Director, Bangladesh Biman.
- Managing Director, of other nationalised Commercial Banks
- Members of the National Board of Revenue
- Members, Public Service Commission
- Officers of the status of Additional Secretary to the Government. Registrar of the Supreme Court
- Vice-chairman, Export Promotion Bureau
- (Rank of Joint secretary)
- Additional Inspector-General of Police
- Chairman, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority
- Chairman, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation
- Chairman, Bangladesh Small & Cottage Industries Corporation
- Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority
- Chairman, Dhaka Improvement Trust
- Chairman, National Broadcasting Authority
- Chairman, Petroleum Corporation
- Chairman, Port Authority
- Chairman, Rural Electrification Board
- Chairman, Trading Corporation of Bangladesh
- Chairman, Water and Sewerage Authority
- Chairman, Bangladesh Hand Loom Board
- Chairman, Bangladesh Sericulture Board
- Chairman, Bangladesh Jute corporation
- Chairman, Bangladesh Forest Industries Development Corporation
- Chairman, Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation
- Chairman, Bangladesh Tourism Corporation
- Chairman, Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation
- Chief Controller of Imports and Exports
- Chief Engineer, Housing and Settlement Department
- Chief Engineer, Public Health Engineering Department
- Commissioners of Divisions within their respective charges
- Director, Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Director, Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Director, Bangladesh Steel and Engineering Corporation (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Director, Bangladesh Sugar and food Industries Corporation (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Director, Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Director-General of Ansars & VDP
- Director-General of Bangladesh Rural Development Board
- Director-General, Department of Immigration and Passport
- Director-General of the Export Promotion Bureau
- Director-General, Fire Services and Civil Defence
- Director-General of Food
- Director-General of Geological Survey
- Director-General of Industries
- Director-General of Land Record and Surveys
- Director-General of Post Offices
- Director-General of Population Control
- Director-General of Relief and Rehabilitation
- Director-General Shipping
- General Manager of Bangladesh Railway
- Joint Secretaries to the Government
- Managing Director, Bangladesh Shipping Corporation
- Managing Director of the Financial Institutions
- Managing Director, Jiban Bima Corporation
- Managing Director, Sadharan Bima Corporation
- Managing Director, Bangladesh Film Development Corporation
- Member, Atomic Energy Commission if full-time member of the Board of Directors
- Member, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation if full-time member of the Board of Directors
- Member, Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation if full-time member of the Board of Directors
- Member, Bangladesh Power Development Board if full-time member of the board of Directors
- Member, Bangladesh Water Development Board if full-time member of the Board of Directors
- Ministers and Deputy High Commissioners of the rank of Ministers in Embassies, High Commissions and Missions Located in Bangladesh
- Officers of the rank of Brigadier in the Army and equivalent in the Navy and the Air Force
- Registrar, Co-operative Societies
- Surveyor-General of Bangladesh
- Additional Chief Architect
- Additional Chief Engineers of Government Departments
- Additional Director-General, Health Services
- Chairman, Chittagong Development Authority
- Chairman, Rajshahi Development Authority
- Chairman, Khulna Development Authority
- Collectors of Customs and Excise
- Commissioners of Divisions outside their respective charges
- Commissioners of Taxes
- Consuls General
- Controller General of Accounts Controller General of Defense Finance
- Counselors of Embassies, High Commissions and Legations of Foreign and Commonwealth Government
- Deputy Inspectors General of Police within their respective charges
- Director of Agriculture Extension
- Director General, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute
- Director General, Bangladesh Jute Research Institute
- Director General, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute
- Director General, Department of Social Services
- Director General, National Institute of Mass Communication
- Director General of Youth Development Department
- Director, Military lands and Cantonment
- Director General, Bangladesh Industrial Technical Assistance Centre
- Director General, Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institute
- Inspector General of Prisons
- Joint Chief, Planning Commission
- Member, Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Member, Bangladesh export Processing Zone Authority (if full- time member of the Board of Directors)
- Member, Tea Board (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Officers of the rank of Full Colonel in the Army and equivalent in the Navy and the Air Force
- Officers of the status of Joint Secretary to the Government
- Principals of Medical and Engineering Colleges and Professors of Universities
- Additional Commissioners (within respective charges)
- Director, Bangladesh jute Corporation (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Director, Bangladesh Forest Industries Corporation (if full-time member of Board of Directors)
- Director, Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Director, Bangladesh Tourism Corporation (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Director, Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (if full-time of the Board of Directors)
- Director, Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (if full-time member of the Board of Directors
- Director of Education
- Director, Petroleum Corporation (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Director, Bangladesh Rural Development Board (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Director, Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Mayors of Civic Corporations outside their respective charges
- Member, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Member, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Member, Bangladesh Handloom Board (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Member, Bangladesh Sericulture Board (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Member, Civil Aviation Authority (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Member, Port Authority (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Member, Rural Electrification Board (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Member, Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Military, Naval and Air Attaches to Embassies and Legations and Military, Naval and Air Advisors to High Commissions
- Professors of Medical and Engineering Colleges
- Chairmen of District Councils (if elected) within their respective charges
- Commandant, Marine Academy
- Deputy Commissioners within their respective charges. Deputy Inspectors General of Police outside their charges
- Director, Bangladesh Industrial Technical Assistance Center (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- Director, Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institute (if full-time member of the Board of Directors)
- District and Sessions Judges within their respective charges
- Officers of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Army and equivalent in the Navy and the Air Force
- Chairmen (if elected) of class I Municipalities within their charges
- Chairmen of Upazila Parishads within their respective charges
- Civil Surgeons within their respective charge
- Deputy Secretaries of the government
- Officers of the rank of Major in the Army and equivalent in the Navy and the Air Force
- Superintendents of Police within their respective charges