Gazette Issued for July National Charter (Constitution Reform) Implementation Order, 2025
The government today published the gazette of the “July National Charter (Constitution Reform) Implementation Order, 2025”. The Order mandates the government for a referendum on the provisions of the July National Charter relating to reforms of the Constitution. The Order and its constitution-reform issues will be submitted for referendum to “exercise the sovereign power of the people”, the notification said. The referendum will be held in accordance with the Order on the day of the national parliament election.
The charter envisages the creation of a bicameral parliament with an upper house of 100 members, representing the political parties proportionally according the vote they got in the polls. The Order has made as many as 30 proposals including limiting the term of the Prime Minister in office, empowering the President and electing Deputy Speaker from the opposition bench, and increasing the number of female seats in the parliament, suggesting that execution of the proposals will be obligatory for the winning political parties of the coming parliamentary elections.
Referendum will be held through ballot and each voter will vote secretly on the ballot determined by the Election Commission. According to the gazette an appropriate law will be enacted for holding the referendum and the Election Commission will take required measures to this end. Earlier, President of Bangladesh Md Shahabuddin, has signed the Order, the notification said. In the ballot of the referendum the following question shall be placed before the voters: “Do you have consent to the July National Charter (Constitution Reforms) Implementation Order, 2025 and the following proposals related to constitutional reform mentioned in the July National Charter?”; (Yes/No):
(a) For election, a Caretaker Government, an Election Commission and other constitutional institutions shall be constituted according to the July Charter. (b) The next National Parliament shall be bicameral. A 100 member Upper House shall be constituted with proportional representation of the votes received by the political parties in the National Parliament elections. Approval by the majority members of the Upper House will be mandatory for any amendment to the constitution.
(c) The winning parties in the next parliamentary election will be obliged to execute 30 proposals of the July National Charter on various issues which include- increasing the representation of females in the parliament, election of the deputy speaker and chairpersons of several parliamentary committees from the opposition bench, limiting the term of the Prime Minister, empowerment of the President, fundamental rights, independence of the judiciary, local government, etc. on which the political parties have reached consensus in the July National Charter. (d) The other reforms mentioned in the July National Charter shall be implemented as promised by the political parties.
