Dhaka, Nov 26 (V7N) – The government has issued an ordinance to hold a referendum for the implementation of the July National Charter (Constitutional Reforms), according to a gazette published late Tuesday by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Ministry of Law.
 
The referendum is scheduled to be held alongside the 13th National Parliamentary Elections in early February. Through the referendum, the government aims to ascertain public approval for key proposals under the July National Charter, enacted following the successful mass uprising of July 2024, which sought to exercise sovereign power in the hands of the people.
 
The ordinance stipulates that a single referendum question will be presented to voters:
"Do you approve the July National Charter (Constitutional Reforms) Implementation Ordinance, 2025, and the related constitutional reform proposals included in the July National Charter?" with a Yes/No option.
 
Election administration for the referendum will follow the procedures outlined in the July Charter. Voting will be conducted at the same polling centers as the upcoming parliamentary elections. Returning officers, presiding officers, and polling officers appointed for the elections will also oversee the referendum. The voter list prepared for the parliamentary elections will serve as the official voter list for the referendum.
 
The ordinance ensures secret ballot voting, the use of designated ballot boxes, and provides provisions for temporary suspension of voting if disrupted. Additionally, it mandates that all reforms agreed upon in the July National Charter—including presidential elections, fundamental rights, judiciary independence, local government, Prime Minister’s tenure, and 30 other key areas—will be implemented by the winning parties in the upcoming parliament.
 
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