Bangladesh has held three referendums since independence, but the context this time is entirely unique. The upcoming referendum, set to be held following the July Uprising and aimed at reforming the state structure, carries significant national importance.
The government has scheduled the referendum on the same day as the 13th parliamentary election to be held on 12 February, asking voters to answer four questions with either a “yes” or a “no.”
Historical analysis shows that the referendums of 1977 and 1985 were administrative processes intended to legitimise the system of rule. The 1990 referendum, by contrast, marked the shift from a presidential system to a prime ministerial parliamentary model.
Political analysts and historians in the country have raised questions at different times about the first two referendums, while the third has been regarded by many as broadly acceptable.
But with the first parliamentary election after the July Uprising coinciding with another referendum, voters are particularly curious this time. The reasons lie in two parallel emotions: the excitement of a long-awaited festive election, and a referendum meant to safeguard the state from authoritarianism through structural reform.
Professor Dilara Choudhury, former head of the Department of Government and Politics at Jahangirnagar University and a political analyst, told TIMES of Bangladesh that the present context is completely different from past referendums and of special significance.
She added, “A ‘yes’ vote would open the door to structural changes in the state, for which thousands of people had sacrificed their lives. Holding a referendum on the same day as a general election is unprecedented in the country’s history.”
After the interim government assumed power on 5 August last year following the student-public uprising, it formed 11 reform commissions to restructure the state. Among the commissions, the National Consensus Commission (NCC) formed in February this year was the most important.
The NCC held repeated consultations with political parties and people from all corners of society, producing the “July Declaration” in early July, followed by the “July National Charter.”
Complications arose over implementing the July Charter, which contains wide-ranging proposals for political restructuring. Eventually, the government issued a referendum ordinance comprising four questions to decide its implementation.
What’s in the ordnance?
The ordinance states, “Do you [voter] agree to the implementation of the July National Charter (Constitution Reform), 2025 and the following proposals regarding constitutional reforms recorded in the July National Charter?”
The proposals include that during elections, the caretaker government, Election Commission and other constitutional bodies will be formed following the process outlined in the July Charter.
The next parliament will be bicameral, with a 100-member upper house formed based on proportional representation of votes received by political parties in the national election, and constitutional amendments will require approval from a majority in the upper house.
Thirty proposals unanimously endorsed by political parties in the July National Charter – including increased female representation in parliament, election of a deputy speaker and parliamentary committee chairpersons from the opposition, term limits for the prime minister, enhanced powers for the president, expansion of fundamental rights, judicial independence and strengthening local government — must be implemented by parties winning the next election.
Other reforms outlined in the July Charter will be implemented according to commitments made by political parties.
Political parties and the public alike are attaching special importance to this referendum.
Although governments have changed multiple times in the past, several authoritarian laws and practices remained untouched, largely because political parties preferred to maintain their dominance, perpetuating irregularities and corruption.
If the four proposals receive a “yes” vote and are implemented, significant structural changes will follow, which may bring relief to the country.
Bangladesh’s first referendum
The country held its first referendum on 30 May 1977 to validate the rule of Ziaur Rahman, founder of the BNP and then president. The referendum asked whether the public had confidence in the president and his policies.
The country had 38.4 million voters at the time. Results showed that 88.1 per cent of voters cast ballots. Among them, 98.9 per cent voted “yes,” while 1.1 per cent voted “no.”
The second referendum
The second referendum was held on 21 March 1985 to validate the policies and actions of the then president and chief martial law administrator Hussain Muhammad Ershad.
Voters cast ballots in “yes” and “no” boxes. According to the Election Commission, voter turnout was 72.2 per cent. Of these, 94.5 per cent voted “yes” and 5.5 per cent voted “no.”
The third referendum
Facing a mass uprising, Ershad resigned on 6 December 1990. Later, the BNP won the fifth parliamentary election. On 6 August 1991, Parliament passed a bill establishing the shift from a presidential to a prime ministerial parliamentary system after 16 years of presidential rule.
A referendum was held on 15 September the same year to determine whether the president would consent to the 12th amendment to the Constitution. Voter turnout was 35.2 per cent, with 84.38 per cent supporting the parliamentary system and 15.62 per cent voting against it.
