Who Runs Things During an Election
In November 2025, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh restored the practice of caretaker governments. In most countries with parliamentary systems, when an election is about to take place, a caretaker government runs things until the election is over. Learn more about caretaker governments—who staffs them, what are their main responsibilities, and what are they supposed to avoid doing?—and then discuss with your team: should caretaker governments be used in more countries and for longer periods of time? Have any caretaker governments refused to leave office when their time was up?
When Australia calls a federal election, the government doesn't just stop — it enters a 'caretaker period,' minding the shop until the winner takes over. In November 2025 Bangladesh's Supreme Court restored the same practice. Someone has to hold power steady through its most fragile moment: the handover itself.
Key concepts
- Caretaker Government
- A temporary administration that keeps a country running during a transition (usually an election), handling day-to-day affairs but barred from major new decisions — a bridge, not a builder.
- Caretaker Conventions
- The often-unwritten rules a caretaker follows: no major policy changes, no big appointments, and consult the opposition on anything significant — since whoever wins might inherit it.
- The Peaceful Transfer Of Power
- The deeper purpose: ensuring the gap between governments doesn't become a moment to grab or abuse power — democracy's most fragile instant.
- The Refusal To Leave
- The nightmare case: an outgoing government that simply won't hand over — when a caretaker refuses to step down, the neutral bridge becomes a coup.
What to know
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It has happened — in Bangladesh itself: the caretaker government installed in early 2007, meant to run a 90-day election, instead presided over a military-backed state of emergency and postponed the vote for roughly two years. That overstay is why Bangladesh scrapped the system in 2011 — and why its 2025 restoration is so fraught: the neutral bridge works only if the caretaker actually steps off it.
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