Bangladesh to Hold National Referendum Alongside February Elections: What You Need to Know

Muhammad Yunus has announced that Bangladesh will conduct a referendum simultaneously with national elections scheduled for February next year.

The Chief Advisor of Bangladesh's Interim Government, Muhammad Yunus, has made an announcement that may trigger opposition within the country - a referendum will be held concurrently with the national elections in February next year.

"After evaluating all considerations, we have decided to conduct a referendum on the same day as the upcoming national election. Both the referendum and elections will take place in the first half of February. This arrangement will not obstruct our reform objectives in any way. Instead, it will enhance the electoral atmosphere and serve as our safeguard. We will establish the necessary protocols for the referendum," stated Yunus.

The referendum proposal has become a contentious political issue in Bangladesh. The hardline Islamist organization Jamaat-E-Islami Bangladesh supports the referendum, while the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), stands against it.

The proposed referendum concerns the implementation of the July National Charter, developed through the National Consensus Commission's deliberations. This charter represents a political declaration reflecting consensus between political parties and the interim government regarding constitutional, electoral, and administrative reforms to determine Bangladesh's future direction.

Parties such as the BNP argue that charter implementation should be the responsibility of an elected government with democratic legitimacy. The current interim government lacks political mandate and was not elected through democratic processes, yet the referendum would make charter provisions binding despite these provisions largely comprising decisions without political authorization.

The referendum will address the constitution of the caretaker government, the Election Commission, and other constitutional institutions according to procedures outlined in the July Charter. It will also propose establishing a 100-member upper house, transforming the Bangladesh National Parliament into a bicameral system, ensuring constitutional amendments require approval by an upper house majority.

Additionally, the referendum will seek voters' opinions on increasing women's parliamentary representation, electing the Deputy Speaker and parliamentary committee chairs from opposition ranks, implementing Prime Minister term limits, enhancing presidential powers, expanding fundamental rights, ensuring judicial independence, and strengthening local government.

In this referendum, voters will express their preferences on these four key matters through a single 'Yes' or 'No' vote. Political parties remain divided on the referendum issue, with political analysts suggesting that the referendum creates provisions outside the constitutional framework.