Bangladesh Referendum, Significance and Impact

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When Bangladeshis cast their ballots, voting will occur for 299 out of the 300 parliamentary seats. Voters will also take part in a referendum for the July Charter.

What are the reasons for holding the referendum, its significance and the impact is discussed herein.

In the July National Charter (Constitution Reform) Implementation Order, 2025, the referendum question contains four parts covering major constitutional reforms. The question reads: "Do you consent to the July National Charter (Constitution Reform) Implementation Order, 2025, and the following proposals related to constitutional reforms mentioned in the July National Charter? (Yes/No)"

a) The election-time caretaker government, the Election Commission, and other constitutional institutions will be formed in line with the process outlined in the July charter.

b) The next parliament will be bicameral. A 100-member upper house will be formed in proportion to the votes received by parties in the national parliamentary election. Approval from a majority of the upper house will be required to amend the constitution.

c) The parties that win the next parliamentary election will be bound to implement the 30 proposals agreed upon in the July National Charter, including increasing women's representation in parliament, electing the deputy speaker and several committee chairpersons from the opposition, limiting the prime minister's term, enhancing presidential powers, strengthening fundamental rights, ensuring judicial independence, and empowering local government.

d) Other reforms mentioned in the July National Charter will be implemented as per the commitments of the political parties. Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus called on citizens to vote “yes” in the upcoming referendum, saying the responsibility of building a new Bangladesh now lies in the hands of the people. Nearly six in ten respondents plan to vote “Yes” in the upcoming referendum, according to a nationwide survey conducted by research firm Innovision. The survey found that 59.5% of respondents intend to vote in favor of the proposal, giving the “Yes” camp a clear lead, although a sizeable share of the population remains either undecided or unaware of the referendum.

The referendum has however invited some criticism as the ballot features a single question covering four major reform areas of the July Charter, and voters are instructed to vote “yes” if they agree more strongly with the proposals and “no” if they disagree. A “yes/no” voting could appear difficult for voters to choose, as the charter contains multiple complex reforms, and even informed voters might support some changes but oppose others. Legal experts, however, questioned the legitimacy of the referendum itself since the Bangladesh Constitution has no provision for such a plebiscite. Thus acceptance of the outcome by the parliament in the future is questionable even though all parties seem to concur on holding the same.

In what could be a defining trend, If the “Yes” vote prevails, Bangladesh will enter a bicameral parliamentary system. Under the charter, the newly elected parliament would first have to pass constitutional amendments through consensus. A timeline of 180 working days has been set for completing the reform process. If the referendum passes, a constitutional reform council comprising newly elected members of parliament would be formed. The tenure of the Upper House would remain valid until the final working day of the lower house.