Bangladesh is set to hold its 13th National Parliamentary Election on 12 February. However, citizens on the day will not only vote to elect a new parliament but also take part in a rare national referendum that could shape the country’s political future for years to come.
The referendum will ask voters whether they approve a set of constitutional reform proposals that emerged after the July 2024 Mass Uprising. Behind that simple choice lies a major decision about how the country will be governed, how power will be shared, and whether the next parliament is legally bound to carry out these reforms.
Voters will receive a separate ballot paper for the referendum. It will not list individual reforms. Instead, people will be asked to vote either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on the July Charter as a whole.
A ‘yes’ vote would mean the reforms become binding. The next parliament would be legally required to carry out 84 reform proposals agreed upon by political parties through the National Consensus Commission. Many of these reforms would change the Constitution itself, affecting how the prime minister, president, parliament, courts and election system work.
A ‘no’ vote, on the other hand, would mean the charter has no legal force. In that case, the party that wins the election would decide which reforms, if any, to pursue. There would be no obligation to follow the roadmap set out in the July Charter.
The July Charter grew out of the mass movement of July and August 2024, which led to the fall of the Awami League government. After taking office on 8 August 2024, the interim government formed several reform commissions to address long-standing problems in the constitution, elections, judiciary, police and public administration. Their recommendations were later discussed with 30 political parties, resulting in 84 agreed proposals.
If voters approve the charter, the next parliament will take on an additional role as a Constitutional Reform Council. Members of parliament will be responsible for passing the necessary constitutional amendments (47 out of 84 proposals) within 270 days, or nine months. If they fail to act within that time, a previously prepared amendment bill would automatically come into effect.
One of the main goals of the proposed reforms is to reduce the concentration of power in one office. Under the charter, no one would be able to serve as prime minister for more than 10 years in their lifetime. The prime minister would also face more limits when appointing key officials, as selection committees including the opposition and, in some cases, the judiciary would play a role.
At the same time, the president’s powers would increase in certain areas. The president would gain greater authority to appoint members of important institutions such as the Human Rights Commission and Bangladesh Bank. Presidential pardons would require the consent of victims, and removing a president would require strong support in both houses of parliament.
Another major change proposed in the July Charter is the introduction of a bicameral parliament. Alongside the current parliament, an Upper House with 100 members would be created, with seats distributed based on parties’ share of the national vote. Supporters say this would prevent any single party from changing the Constitution on its own, as amendments would need approval from both houses.
The July Charter also aims to make parliament more accountable. MPs would be allowed to vote independently on most issues, rather than being bound by party lines. Several key parliamentary committees would be led by opposition lawmakers, and the deputy speaker would come from the opposition.
Judicial independence is another key focus. The reforms propose that the chief justice be chosen from senior judges of the Appellate Division and that a separate commission oversee the appointment of High Court judges. Regional High Court benches and a separate Supreme Court secretariat are also part of the plan.
Beyond constitutional changes, a ‘yes’ vote would open the door to other reforms through laws and executive action. These include restoring the caretaker government system for elections, redrawing constituency boundaries, increasing women’s representation in parliament, reforming emergency powers, and modernising court and public administration systems.
The referendum will also decide whether people approve the July Charter Implementation Order issued by the president, which formally recognises the reform process that followed the 2024 uprising. A ‘yes’ vote would give that process public legitimacy.
If voters choose ‘no’, the charter will effectively be set aside. Some reforms may still happen, depending on the next government, but many key constitutional changes would remain uncertain.
For voters, the referendum is about more than legal language or political structures. It is a chance to say whether the demands raised during the July movement should be locked into law or left to future political bargaining. On 12 February, alongside choosing their representatives, citizens will also be choosing the path they want Bangladesh to take next.
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