Bangladesh to hold referendum on July charter alongside February election
NEW DELHI: Bangladesh will hold a national referendum early next year to decide on the implementation of the July Charter, a sweeping state reform agenda drafted following last years deadly student-led uprising. The vote will take place on the same day as the national parliamentary election in the first half of February, interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus announced on Thursday. In a televised address, Nobel laureate Yunus said the decision aimed to make the electoral process more inclusive, festive, and cost-effective. He stated that the July National Charter Implementation Order 2025 had been approved by the interim government and was ready for official notification. We have decided that the referendum will be held on the same day as the national parliamentary election. This will not hinder the reform process; rather, it will make the election more festive and cost-efficient, Yunus said. The referendum will seek public approval for key reforms outlined in the July Charter, including limits on the prime ministers term, enhanced powers for the president, greater representation of women, expanded fundamental rights, and full judicial independence. The Charter also seeks to give constitutional recognition to the 2024 uprising that forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India. Yunus said the move would accelerate Bangladeshs transition towards a new constitutional framework. I hope political parties will accept our decision in the greater interest of the nation. The country will move towards a festive national election and step into a New Bangladesh, he added. However, the announcement has drawn sharp criticism from major political groups. The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami said the decision failed to meet public expectations and could deepen political divisions. The chief advisers plan has ignored the peoples demand, said Jamaat Secretary-General Mia Golam Porwar in a statement. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) accused Yunus of violating the spirit of the July Charter by expanding its scope without political consensus. BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said the proposed Constitution Reform Council, to be formed by elected lawmakers, had never been discussed during previous dialogues. The BNPs top leadership convened an emergency meeting in Dhaka on Thursday evening to discuss the interim governments announcement and its implications for the upcoming election. India has repeatedly urged its neighbouring country to hold early, free, and fair elections.
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