Gazette of “July National Charter (Constitution Amend) Implementation Order, 2025” issued

The government on Thursday published the gazette of the “July National Charter (Constitution Amendment) Implementation Order, 2025”.

The Order mandates the government to hold a referendum on the provisions of the July National Charter relating to reforms of the Constitution.

The Order and its constitution-reform issues will be submitted for referendum to “exercise the sovereign power of the people”, the notification said.

The referendum will be held in accordance with the Order on the day of the national parliament election.

The Charter envisages the creation of a bicameral parliament with an Upper House of 100 members, representing the political parties proportionally according to the votes they received in the polls.

The Order includes as many as 30 proposals, including limiting the term of the Prime Minister in office, empowering the President, electing the Deputy Speaker from the opposition bench, and increasing the number of female seats in parliament, suggesting that execution of the proposals will be obligatory for the winning political parties of the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

The referendum will be held through ballot, and each voter will vote secretly on the ballot determined by the Election Commission.

According to the gazette, an appropriate law will be enacted for holding the referendum, and the Election Commission will take the required measures to this end.

Earlier, the President of Bangladesh, Md Shahabuddin, signed the Order, the notification said.