The Administrative Tribunals Act, 1980

An Act to provide for the establishment of Administrative Tribunals to exercise jurisdiction in respect of matters relating to or arising out of the terms and conditions of persons in the service of the Republic ¹or of any statutory public authority. WHEREAS Article 117 of the Constitution provides, inter alia, that Parliament may by law establish one or more Administrative Tribunals to exercise jurisdiction in respect of matters relating to or arising out of the terms and conditions of service of persons in the service of the Republic [or of any statutory public authority]; It is hereby enacted as follows:- AND WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for the establishment of Administrative Tribunals to exercise such jurisdiction and for matters connected therewith;

Section 1. Short title and commencement

(1) This Act may be called the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1980.

(2) It shall come into force on such date as the Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, appoint.

Section 2. Definitions

In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,-

²(aa) “statutory public authority” means an authority, corporation, or body specified in the Schedule to this Act; and

Section 3. Establishment of Administrative Tribunals

(1) The Government may by notification in the official Gazette, establish one or more Administrative Tribunals for the purpose of this Act.

(2) When more than one Administrative Tribunal is established, the Government shall, by notification in the official Gazette, specify the area within which each Tribunal shall exercise jurisdiction.

(3) An Administrative Tribunal shall consist of one member who shall be appointed by the Government from among persons who are or have been District Judges.

(4) A member of an Administrative Tribunal shall hold office on such terms and conditions as the Government may determine.

Section 4. Jurisdiction of Administrative Tribunals

(1) An Administrative Tribunal shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine applications made by any person in the service of the Republic ³or of any statutory public authority in respect of the terms and conditions of his service including pension rights, or in respect of any action taken in relation to him as a person in the service of the Republic ⁴or of any statutory public authority.

(2) A person in the service of the Republic ⁵or of any statutory public authority may make an application to an Administrative Tribunal under sub-section (1), if he is aggrieved by any order or decision in respect of the terms and conditions of his service including pension rights or by any action taken in relation to him as a person in the service of the Republic ⁶or of any statutory public authority:

Provided that no application in respect of an order, decision or action which can be set aside, varied or modified by a higher administrative authority under any law for the time being in force relating to the terms and conditions of the service of the Republic ⁷or of any statutory public authority or the discipline of that service can be made to the Administrative Tribunal until such higher authority has taken a decision on the matter:

⁸Provided further that, where no decision on an appeal or application for review in respect of an order, decision or action referred to in the preceding proviso has been taken by the higher administrative authority within a period of two months from the date on which the appeal or application was preferred or made, it shall, on the expiry of such period, be deemed, for the purpose of making an application to the Administrative Tribunals under this section, that such higher authority has disallowed the appeal of the application:

Provided further that no such application shall be entertained by the Administrative Tribunal unless it is made within six months from the date of making or taking of the order, decision or action concerned or making of the decision on the matter by the higher administrative authority, as the case may be.

(3) In this section “person in the service of the Republic ⁹or of any statutory public authority” includes a person who is or has retired or is dismissed, removed or discharged from such service, but does not include a person in the defence services of Bangladesh ¹⁰or of the Bangladesh Rifles.

Section 5. Administrative Appellate Tribunal

(1) The Government shall, by notification in the official Gazette, establish an Administrative Appellate Tribunal for the purpose of this Act.

¹¹(2) The Administrative Appellate Tribunal shall consist of one Chairman and two other members who shall be appointed by the Government.

(3) The Chairman shall be a person who is, or has been, or is qualified to be a Judge of the Supreme Court, and of the two other members, one shall be a person who is or has been an officer in the service of the Republic not below the rank of Joint Secretary to the Government and the other a person who is or has been a District Judge.

(4) The Chairman or any other member of the Administrative Appellate Tribunal shall hold office on such terms and conditions as the Government may determine.

Section 6. Jurisdiction of Administrative Appellate Tribunal

(1) The Administrative Appellate Tribunal shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine appeals from any order or decision of an Administrative Tribunal.

(2) Any person aggrieved by an order or decision of an Administrative Tribunal may, within three months from the date of making of the order or decision, prefer an appeal to the Administrative Appellate Tribunal.

(2A) Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-section (2), an appeal may be admitted after the period of three months specified in that sub-section but not later than six months, if the appellant satisfies the Administrative Appellate Tribunal that he had sufficient cause for not preferring the appeal within three months

(3) The Administrative Appellate Tribunal may, on appeal, confirm, set aside, vary or modify any order or decision of an Administrative Tribunal, and the decision of the Administrative appellate Tribunal in an appeal [shall, subject to section 6A, be final].

Application of Article 103 of the Constitution

¹²6A. It is hereby declared that the provisions of Article 103 of the Constitution shall apply in relation to the Administrative Appellate Tribunal as they apply in relation to the High Court Division.

Section 7. Powers and procedure of Triunals

(1) For the purpose of hearing an application or appeal, as the case may be, a Tribunal shall have all the powers of civil Court, while trying a suit under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (V of 1908), in respect of the following matters, namely:-

(2) Any proceedings before a Tribunal shall be deemed to be a judicial proceeding within the meaning of section 193 of the Penal Code (XLV of 1860).

(3) A Tribunal shall hold its sittings at such place or places as the Government may fix.

¹³(3A) In the event of any difference of opinion among the members of the Administrative Appellate Tribunal, the opinion of the majority shall prevail.

¹⁴(3B) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, if, in course of hearing, any member of the Administrative Appellate Tribunal is, for any reason, absent or unable to attend any sitting thereof, the Chairman and the other member present may dispose of appeals, provided they are unanimous in their decision.

(4) and (5) [Omitted by section 3 of the Administrative Tribunals (Amendment) Ordinance, 1983 (Ordinance No. XXXVIII of 1983).]

(6) The member of an Administrative Tribunal ¹⁵or the Chairman of the Administrative Appellate Tribunal may make such administrative arrangements as he considers necessary for the performance of the functions of the Tribunal.

¹⁶(7) The Administrative Appellate Tribunal may, on its own motion or on the application of any party or by way of a reference from an Administrative Tribunal, by an order in writing, transfer, at any stage of the proceedings, any case from one Administrative Tribunal to another Administrative Tribunal, whenever it considers such transfer is just and convenient for the proper dispensation of justice.

(8) Subject to the other provisions of this Act, a Tribunal shall, for the purpose of hearing an application or appeal, as the case may be, follow such procedure as may be prescribed:

Provided that where, in respect of any matter no procedure has been prescribed by this Act or by rules made thereunder, a Tribunal shall follow the procedure in respect thereof as may be laid down by the Administrative Appellate Tribunal.

Death of the applicant

¹⁷7A. (1) Where a person is dismissed or removed from service and an application is made under section 4 against such removal or dismissal and that person dies during the pendency of the case, the right to sue of that applicant shall survive if his service had been pensionable under any law for the time being in force.

(2) Where the right to sue survives under sub-section (1), such legal representative of the deceased applicant who would have been entitled to the pensionery benefit at the event of the death or retirement of the deceased applicant may be substituted, upon an application, made to the Tribunal or, as the case may be, to the Appellate Division, within sixty days from the date of the death of the applicant.

(3) The legal representative of the deceased, as referred to in sub-section (2), shall be entitled to the pensionery benefit which would have been payable to that deceased if he had been removed or dismissed:

Provided that, such pensionery benefit shall not be payable unless the Tribunal or, as the case may be, the Appellate Division, declares the order of the dismissal or removal, as the case may be, as illegal or void:

Provided further that, for the purpose of this section, the applicant shall be deemed to have died or retired, as the case may be, on the day on which he was removed or dismissed.

Section 7B. Amendment of application

The Tribunal may, at any stage of the proceedings, allow the applicant to alter or amend his application in such manner and on such terms as it thinks fit.]

Inspection of the works of Administrative Tribunal

¹⁸7C. The Administrative Appellate Tribunal may inspect the works of Administrative Tribunals.

Section 8. Binding effect of Tribunal’s decisions and orders

(1) All decisions and orders of the Administrative Appellate Tribunal ¹⁹shall, subject to the decisions and orders of the Appellate Division, be binding upon the Administrative Tribunals and the parties concerned.

(2) All decisions and orders of an Administrative Tribunal shall, subject to the ²⁰decisions and orders of the Appellate Division or of the Administrative Appellate Tribunal, as the case may be, be binding on the parties concerned.

Section 9. Penalty for obstruction

A Tribunal shall have power to punish any person who, without lawful excuse, obstructs it in the performance of its functions with simple imprisonment which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to five hundred Taka, or with both.

Section 10. Bar on jurisdiction of Courts

Subject to this Act, no proceedings, order or decision of a Tribunal shall be liable to be challenged, reviewed, quashed or called in question in any Court.

Contempt of Tribunals

²¹10A. (1) The Administrative Appellate Tribunal shall have power to punish for contempts of its authority or that of any Administrative Tribunal, as if it were the High Court Division of the Supreme Court.

(2) [Omitted by section 5 of the Administrative Tribunals (Amendment) Act, 1991 (Act No. XXIII of 1991).]

Section 11. Act to override other laws

The provisions of this Act, shall have effect notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force.

Section 12. Power to make rules

(1) The Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act.

(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:-

Section 13. Savings

All suits, cases, applications and appeals relating to any matter in respect of which a Tribunal has jurisdiction, pending immediately before the commencement of this Act, before any Court shall be tried, heard and disposed of by such Courts, as if this Act had not come into force.