BANGLADESH will hold a referendum on its proposed democratic reform charter on the same day as the parliamentary election in February 2026, interim leader Muhammad Yunus said on Thursday.
Yunus, 85, said he had inherited a "completely broken down" political system after taking charge following an uprising last year. He has described the reform charter as central to his tenure and argued it is necessary to avoid a return to authoritarian rule.
"We have decided... that the referendum will be held on the same day as the next parliamentary elections," Yunus said in a national address. "This will not hinder the goal of reform in any way. The elections will be more festive and affordable."
Political parties are preparing for the polls amid rising tensions.
Earlier on Thursday, the chief prosecutor in the crimes against humanity case against fugitive former prime minister Sheikh Hasina said the verdict would be delivered on November 17. Hasina, 78, has stayed in India and ignored court orders to return for trial on charges of ordering a deadly crackdown during the failed attempt to stop the student-led uprising that removed her from office.
"We hope the court will exercise its prudence and wisdom, that the thirst for justice will be fulfilled, and that this verdict will mark an end to crimes against humanity," chief prosecutor Tajul Islam told reporters.
Hasina has rejected all charges and called the proceedings a "jurisprudential joke".
The reform document, known as the "July Charter" after the uprising that ousted Hasina, has triggered debate among political parties before the vote.
The plan proposes stronger checks and balances between the executive, judiciary and legislature, a two-term limit for prime ministers and wider presidential powers. It also seeks constitutional recognition of Bangladesh as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country.
Voters will give their views through one question divided into four parts. "If the majority vote in the referendum is 'yes', a Constitutional Reform Council will be formed," Yunus said. He added that the council would be responsible for amending the constitution in parliament.
"We, the living, should not tarnish the glory of the unity that the countrymen built by standing tall in the face of death against fascism", he said.
Yunus has said the election, the first since Hasina was overthrown, will be held in early February. The Election Commission is expected to fix the date in December.
The referendum announcement has frustrated some groups that wanted the reforms approved before the election. "Muhammad Yunus has failed to fulfil the desire of the people," said Mia Golam Parwar, a senior leader of Jamaat-E-Islami. "The crisis may deepen."
Hasina's outlawed Awami League had called for a nationwide "lockdown" on Thursday. Security forces were deployed around the court, with armoured vehicles at checkpoints.
Several crude bomb attacks have been reported across Dhaka this month, including petrol bombs targeting buildings linked to the Yunus government, buses and Christian sites.
(With inputs from agencies)
