2026 Bangladeshi constitutional referendum

2026 Bangladeshi constitutional referendum

12 February 2026 (2026-02-12)
Do you approve of the July National Charter (Constitution Amendment) Implementation Order, 2025, and the following proposals for constitutional reform as recorded in the July National Charter? (Read the whole question)
Postal ballot paper of the referendum.
Voting system	Popular referendum
Website	gonovote.gov.bd

A constitutional referendum will take place in Bangladesh in 12 February 2026, alongside the general election. Voters will be asked about the provisions of the July Charter and related amendments to the Constitution of Bangladesh. July National Charter (Constitutional Amendment) Implementation Order, 2025 has been issued for this purpose.

The referendum propounds reforms to countervail among state institutions — the legislature, executive and judiciary — and improve accountability in governance. If the referendum is passed, the newly elected parliament will act as the constituent assembly during the first 180 days to enact the changes in the constitution agreed in the July Charter.

Context

Main articles: July Revolution (Bangladesh), July Charter, and July Charter implementation order

Further information: Criticism of the Constitution of Bangladesh, Constitutional Reform Commission (Bangladesh), and National Consensus Commission

On 13 November 2025, the President of Bangladesh Mohammed Shahabuddin issued the July Charter implementation order to implement the July Charter. Which effectively gave the Election Commission authorization to organize a referendum and make the necessary legal arrangements.

Question

The referendum question outlines various reforms suggested by the reform commissions. The ballot for the referendum reads as follows:

Do you approve of the July National Charter (Constitution Amendment) Implementation Order, 2025, and the following proposals for constitutional reform as recorded in the July National Charter?

a. The caretaker government during election, the Election Commission, and other constitutional institutions shall be constituted in accordance with the process described in the July Charter.

b. The next Parliament shall be bicameral. A 100-member upper house will be formed based on the proportion of votes received by political parties in the national election, and any constitutional amendment will require approval by a majority of the upper house.

c. The 30 reform proposals on which political parties reached consensus under the July National Charter — including increased representation of women in Parliament, election of the Deputy Speaker and parliamentary committee chairs from the opposition, term limits for the Prime Minister, enhanced powers of the President, expansion of fundamental rights, judicial independence, and strengthening of local government — shall be binding on the parties that win the upcoming election.

d. Other reforms outlined in the July Charter shall be implemented according to the commitments made by political parties.

Position

Parties	Position	Notes
Interim government	Yes	Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has called the voters to cast yes vote. State institutions have also campaigned for the yes vote.
11 Party Alliance	Yes	The alliance is campaigning for a yes vote to a position in favor of necessary reforms, a system to strengthen the state and democracy, establishing people's rights, moving forward on the path of good governance, to provide necessary reforms in the state structure, establish justice, protect democratic rights for voters, an opportunity for people to express their opinions and it will pave the way for positive changes in the country's governance.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party	Yes (de jure) Unclear (de facto)	Party Chairman Tarique Rahman urged his supporters to vote "yes" in the referendum during a campaign event at Rangpur. Secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also confirmed his party's support for the yes vote. Although there have been reports of local party leaders campaigning for "no" vote in the referendum.
Democratic United Front	Unclear	DUF described the process as undemocratic and unconstitutional, but has not yet campaigned for no vote.
Jatiya Party	No	Party chairman GM Quader has called the voters to cast no vote. He claimed that the whole process was undemocratic and unconstitutional.

Opinion polls

Vote share projections

Polling agency	Fieldwork dates	Date published	Sample size	Yes	No	Undecided	"Don't know"	Lead (pp)
Innovision Consulting	16 — 27 Jan 2026	30 Jan 2026	5,147	59.5%	6.8%	11.7%	22%	52.7

See also

• 1977 Bangladeshi presidential confidence referendum
• 1985 Bangladeshi military rule referendum
• 1991 Bangladeshi constitutional referendum
• 2026 Bangladeshi general election