A constitutional referendum took place in Bangladesh on 12 February 2026, alongside the general election. Voters were asked about the provisions of the July Charter and related amendments to the Constitution of Bangladesh. "July National Charter (Constitutional Amendment) Implementation Order, 2025" were issued for this purpose.
The referendum propounds reforms to countervail among state institutions â the legislature, executive and judiciary and improve accountability in governance. If the referendum is passed, the newly elected parliament will act as a constituent assembly to enact the changes in the constitution agreed in the charter.
The "Yes" vote passed in the referendum, with 68% votes in favor on a turnout of 60%. The "Yes" vote does not, by itself, change the Constitution; it is a mandate to change the Constitution. It is considered politically binding, not legally binding.
On 26 February 2026, Bangladesh Election Commission revised referendum results and published a corrected gazette notification.
On 13 November 2025, the President of Bangladesh, Mohammed Shahabuddin issued the "July National Charter (Constitutional Amendment) Implementation Order, 2025" to implement the July Charter, which effectively gave the Bangladesh Election Commission authorization to organize a referendum and make the necessary legal arrangements.
This order provides for a national referendum in which voters will approve or reject the proposed reforms, including the establishment of a caretaker government and an independent election commission, the introduction of a bicameral parliament, term limits for the prime minister, enhanced presidential powers and judicial independence, and increased womenâÂÂs representation in parliament. If approved, a "Constitution Reform Council" composed of all newly elected members of parliament will be formed to complete the constitutional amendments within 180 working days from the date of commencement of its first session, upon which the Council shall be dissolved. While certain provisions of the order take effect immediately, others will be implemented only upon a positive referendum result, with the election commission responsible for organizing the vote and facilitating the legal process to formally incorporate the July Charter into the Constitution of Bangladesh.
The referendum question outlines various reforms suggested by the Reform Commissions of Bangladesh. The ballot for the referendum reads as follows:
The Business Standard reported some statistical and reporting anomalies in the referendum. Figures included impossible numbers such as a 244.3% turnout in Rajshahi-4 which included 612,229 votes for "No" and 145,382 for "Yes" against 319,909 registered voters, vote counts in areas of Netrokona which exceeded the number of registered voters, and discrepancies between the referendum and the parallel parliamentary elections in Sirajganj-1. However, press secretary Shafiqul Alam stated that when asked about the news that 200 per cent of the votes were cast in a centre in the election, he said, "This is false journalism. It is basically a mistake due to currency. Whoever reported such news did so without talking to the returning officer. It was later corrected."