The interim government has issued an ordinance to hold a referendum alongside the 13th parliamentary election.

The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs’s Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division promulgated the ordinance on Tuesday, after a special meeting of the Advisory Council at the Chief Advisor’s Office approved it earlier in the day.

The ordinance states:

“Whereas, in order to ascertain whether the people approve the proposals relating to constitutional reforms contained in the July National Charter 2025, adopted to give effect to the sovereign will of the people as manifested through the mass uprising of July-August 2024, the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order, 2025 has been framed and issued for placing the said proposals to a referendum;

“And whereas the said July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order, 2025 provides for making a law for the holding of the referendum;

“And whereas Parliament stands dissolved and it appears to the President that circumstances exist which render immediate action necessary;

“Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 93(1) of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, the President is pleased to make and promulgate the following Ordinance, which shall be called the Referendum Ordinance, 2025 and shall come into force at once.”

There will be a single referendum question, which is: “Do you consent to the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order, 2025 and to the following proposals on constitutional reform recorded in the July Charter?”

Voters will mark one of two boxes, “Yes” or “No”. Those who agree will vote in the “Yes” box; those who do not will vote in the “No” box.

The proposals are:

(a) The election-time caretaker government, the Election Commission and other constitutional bodies will be formed in line with the procedures set out in the July Charter.

(b) The next Jatiya Sangsad (parliament) will be bicameral. A 100-member Upper House will be formed on the basis of the proportion of votes obtained by parties in the parliamentary election, and any constitutional amendment will require the approval of a majority of the Upper House.

(c) The political parties winning the next parliamentary election will be bound to implement the 30 agreed points recorded in the July National Charter – covering increased representation of women in parliament, election of the deputy speaker and several committee chairs from the opposition, fundamental rights, judicial independence, local government, the prime minister’s tenure, the powers of the president and other issues.

(d) All other reforms set out in the July National Charter will be implemented in line with the commitments made by political parties.

The law advisor said the 30 points will be attached as a schedule to the Referendum Ordinance.

OTHER KEY REFERENDUM DECISIONS

The referendum will be held at the same polling centres as those designated for the next national election.

The voter list prepared for the parliamentary election will also serve as the voter list for the referendum.

The referendum will be conducted during the same polling hours as the parliamentary vote.

The referendum ballot will be separate from the ballot for the parliamentary election.

The returning officers, assistant returning officers, presiding officers and polling officers appointed by the Election Commission for the parliamentary election will also act in the same capacities for the referendum.

If, for any reason, polling is obstructed at a centre, the presiding officer may suspend the vote there. If the Election Commission is satisfied that the overall result of the referendum cannot be determined without the result from such centres, only then will it order re-polling in those centres.

Postal ballots will also be available for the referendum.