The “Yes” vote won by a large margin in the referendum held alongside the 13th National Parliamentary Election, opening the door for major constitutional reforms.
Senior Secretary of the Election Commission Akhtar Ahmed announced the unofficial results on Friday at 3pm.
A total of 12.77 crore voters were registered for the parliamentary election and the referendum.
The referendum recorded a turnout of 60.26 percent. According to the Election Commission’s data, 4,80,74,429 votes were cast in favour of “Yes,” while 2,25,65,627 votes were marked “No.”
What the ‘Yes’ victory means
With the “Yes” vote prevailing, the constitutional reform proposals included in the July National Charter can now be implemented.
The reforms are expected to reduce the concentration of executive power in the Prime Minister’s office and increase the President’s authority in certain areas.
Under the current constitution, most executive powers are vested in the Prime Minister. The President is required to act on the Prime Minister’s advice in almost all matters, except for appointing the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice.
If the reforms are implemented, appointments to constitutional posts will be made through committees comprising representatives of the ruling party, the opposition, and, in some cases, the judiciary.
The reforms also aim to enhance the independence of MPs in parliamentary voting, potentially creating a more balanced distribution of power among state institutions.
Bicameral parliament and tougher amendment rules
The reforms propose establishing a bicameral parliament and changing the constitutional amendment process, making it harder for any single party to amend the constitution unilaterally.
Background of the reforms
The July National Charter was introduced after the July uprising, which led to the fall of the Awami League government. An interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took office on 8 August, 2024, and pledged to reform various sectors.
In early October 2024, the government formed six reform commissions to review the constitution, election system, judiciary, anti-corruption measures, police, and public administration.
The commissions identified 166 priority reform proposals. To build political consensus, the National Consensus Commission began its work on 15 February last year.
After discussions with 30 political parties, the commission reached agreement on 84 reform proposals, which were included in the July National Charter.
Of these, 48 were constitutional reforms. Other proposals could be implemented through government orders, ordinances, or legislation. Some have already been acted upon by the interim government.
However, constitutional reforms cannot be enacted through ordinances or executive orders. Therefore, the referendum was held on the 48 constitutional proposals in the July charter. Among these, 19 were marked as fundamental reforms by the National Consensus Commission.
Implementation Process
The reform process is divided into three stages.
First, the President issued the “July National Charter (Constitution Reform) Implementation Order, 2025” on 13 November. Second, the referendum was held to approve the constitutional reforms.
With the “Yes” vote, the third stage begins- forming a Constitutional Reform Council in the next parliament. The council, made up of elected MPs, will be responsible for finalising the reforms within 180 working days from its first session.
The implementation order does not specify the consequences if the council fails to complete the reforms within the stipulated time.
Major proposed changes
Key proposals include limiting an individual’s tenure as Prime Minister to a maximum of 10 years in a lifetime. Another proposal seeks to bar the Prime Minister from simultaneously holding the position of party leader, a provision opposed by the BNP.
The reforms also propose granting the President the authority to appoint heads of key institutions, including the Human Rights Commission, Information Commission, Press Council, Law Commission, Bangladesh Bank Governor, and the Energy Regulatory Commission, without requiring recommendations or advice from other bodies.
The charter further proposes establishing a bicameral parliament with proportional representation in the upper house.
It states that constitutional amendments would require the support of two-thirds of the lower house and a majority in the upper house.
