The voters in Bangladesh decisively approved the implementation of the July National Charter 2025 in a referendum held alongside the 13th National Parliamentary Election, the Election Commission (EC) officials confirmed.

According to EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed, turnout for the referendum reached 60.26%, with 48.1 million votes in favor of the Charter and 22.6 million against, giving the “Yes” vote a clear majority.

Answering questions from journalists, Akhtar Ahmed noted that the results of the parliamentary election and the referendum would not be published separately; instead, a consolidated gazette will cover both polls.

The July National Charter 2025, officially signed on October 17, 2025, is a landmark political declaration aiming to bring comprehensive reforms to Bangladesh’s constitution, electoral system, governance, judiciary, law enforcement and public administration. The charter follows the mass uprising in 2024 that demanded systemic political and institutional changes.

A total of 25 political parties signed the charter at the National Parliament’s South Plaza, under the supervision of the National Consensus Commission chaired by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. The charter was preceded by months of drafting, negotiations and public demonstrations, particularly in Dhaka’s Shahbagh area, where citizens called for immediate recognition of the reforms.

The document commits to implementing the outlined reforms within two years of the formation of a government elected after the charter’s adoption, with full legal and constitutional protection to ensure its execution in line with public aspirations. It also formally acknowledges the 2024 pro-democracy movement and the “July Revolution” (mass uprising), embedding these historical events in the nation’s constitutional framework.

Despite broad support, the charter faced criticism from some political parties, including the BNP, which opposed its constitutional incorporation, and several left-wing groups, which raised concerns over potential distortions of history and constitutional principles. Nevertheless, the National Consensus Commission expressed confidence in the reforms’ future implementation.

Bahauddin Foizee, a Dhaka-based geopolitical analyst and columnist, said the referendum could influence, either positively or negatively, the social and institutional landscape of the country over the longer term.

The referendum’s outcome signals broad public support for the proposed reforms and represents a significant milestone in Bangladesh’s political and institutional transformation.