Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Professor Ali Riaz said on Thursday that the upcoming referendum, set to be held on the same day as the 13th parliamentary election, is designed to ensure that future leaders of the country cannot become fascist.

Speaking at a workshop titled “Upcoming Referendum and the Role of NGOs” in Dhaka, Prof. Riaz stressed that voters should cast a “yes” vote to block any future rise of authoritarianism. The event, organized by the NGO Affairs Bureau and attended by nearly 450 local and international NGOs, was presided over by Bureau Director Md. Daud Mia.

Prof. Riaz noted that existing constitutional and state frameworks allow leaders to exploit systemic weaknesses. The referendum, he said, will let citizens decide how Bangladesh should be governed in the future. Voters will receive two ballots: a white one for general elections and a colored one for the referendum.

Highlighting the role of NGOs, Prof. Riaz urged them to raise awareness among marginalized communities about the referendum, recalling the sacrifices of those who fought for democracy during the July Uprising and past governments.

Special speakers included Monir Haider, special assistant to the Chief Adviser, and Dr. Badiul Alam Majumdar, founding secretary of Citizens for Good Governance (Sujan). They emphasized that a “yes” vote would enable reforms in parliamentary functioning, judicial decentralization, and strengthen transparency and accountability across all state institutions.