Alongside the parliamentary elections on February 12, 2026, an unprecedented referendum was held on the July National Charter – a document containing over 80 proposals for fundamental changes to Bangladesh’s governance system. The charter was endorsed by over 60% of voters.
The July Charter was drafted by the interim government under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus following the 2024 student-led protests that led to the ousting of Sheikh Hasina. The document envisages, among other things, introducing prime ministerial term limits, enhancing presidential powers, expanding fundamental rights, safeguarding judicial independence, and increasing women’s political representation.
One of the key provisions is the proposed creation of a 100-member upper chamber of parliament, which would operate alongside the existing 350-seat lower house. However, parties disagree on the method of selecting upper house members – the BNP favours allocation proportional to parliamentary seats won, while Jamaat-e-Islami and the NCP prefer a proportional representation system. Implementing these reforms will be one of the most important tests for the new government.
Source: IFES / Al Jazeera: https://www.ifes.org/tools-resources/election-snapshots/elections-bangladesh-2026%20Parliamentary-Elections-National-Referendum