The Election Commission (EC) has officially issued a comprehensive circular detailing the procedures, timing, and specific questions for the upcoming national referendum. The referendum, which aims to validate constitutional reforms under the “July National Charter 2025,” will be held simultaneously with the 13th National Parliamentary Election on February 12, 2026.
According to the circular signed by Mohammad Monir Hossain, Deputy Secretary of the EC Secretariat, the government has decided to seek the “sovereign consent of the people” following the successful student-led mass uprising of July-August 2024.
The Referendum Question
Voters will be asked to provide a “Yes” or “No” response to a single, multi-part question through a secret ballot:
“Do you consent to the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order, 2025, and the following proposals for constitutional reform as recorded in the July National Charter?”
The key reform proposals include:
- Institutional Reform: Establishing the election-time Caretaker Government, the Election Commission, and other constitutional bodies according to the July Charter.
- Bicameral Legislature: Transforming the National Parliament into a two-chamber body, including a 100-member Upper House formed through proportional representation. Any constitutional amendment will require the majority approval of this Upper House.
- Mandatory Reform Implementation: Binding the winning political parties of the next election to implement 30 consensus-based issues, including increased women’s representation, electing the Deputy Speaker and committee chairs from the opposition, and limiting the Prime Minister’s term.
- Political Commitments: Implementing all other reforms mentioned in the July Charter as promised by the political parties.
Voting Process and Logistics
The Election Commission has outlined a “one-stop” voting process to ensure efficiency:
- Timing: Voting will take place from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM without any break.
- Dual Ballots: Voters will receive two ballot papers. The parliamentary election ballot will be white, while the referendum ballot will be pink.
- Single Box: Both the parliamentary and referendum ballots must be cast into the same transparent ballot box after being marked in secret cubicles.
- Postal Ballots: Expatriates and eligible local voters using postal services will follow a similar process using a specific form (Form-2).
Management and Counting
To minimize costs and logistical complexity, the EC stated that the Returning Officers, Assistant Returning Officers, and polling staff appointed for the 13th National Election will simultaneously manage the referendum duties.
Once voting concludes, Presiding Officers will first separate the white and pink ballots in the presence of candidates’ agents. The “Yes” and “No” votes for the referendum will be counted separately and recorded before the official results are published.
