Explained: What is July Charter, and why is a referendum being held with Bangladesh elections?

Bangladesh Elections: Bangladesh is voting today to elect a new parliament, the first since violent protests ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.

The voting, which began at 7.30 am (local time), will continue till 4.30 pm. Counting will start once voting is over, and the results will be declared by Friday.

Along with voting, Bangladesh will also hold a national referendum today. The referendum will give people a chance to vote on reforms to state institutions.

The interim government that took power after Hasina's ouster approved the charter's implementation order in November, saying public approval was necessary for key changes.

The July Charter in Bangladesh basically refers to a proposed political reform framework that emerged after the July–August 2024 student-led uprising which led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government.

It is not a historical constitutional document like the 1972 Constitution, but a post-uprising reform blueprint pushed by student leaders and civil society groups,later incorporated into the transition discourse under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.

The charter is a set of reform demands and democratic restructuring proposals aimed at overhauling Bangladesh’s political system after allegations of authoritarianism, election manipulation, and institutional capture under the Awami League government.

It is named after the July 2024 protests, which began over the government job quota system but evolved into a broader anti-government movement.

The reforms also included the creation of new constitutional bodies and the introduction of a bicameral parliament, whose upper house will require a majority vote for constitutional amendments.

Other questions cover the implementation of 30 charter reforms - including term limits for prime ministers and enhanced presidential powers, along with broader changes in line with political parties' commitments, news agency Reuters said.

It is not the first time Bangladesh has held a referendum. The country has held three referendums before the Hasina government abolished the provision in 2011. A High Court reinstated it in 2024 after she was ousted.

While the 1977 and 1985 referendums asked people if they had confidence in the then presidents and their policies, the third, in 1991, asked whether Bangladesh should return from a presidential system to parliamentary democracy.

People overwhelmingly voted "yes" in all three referendums.

The student-led National Citizen Party and its allies have framed the vote as a mandate for July Charter reforms.

It symbolises a break from what protesters call the “two-dynasty” political system (Awami League vs BNP).

The referendum has been criticised for denying voters the chance to decide on reforms individually, instead clubbing together multiple proposals to force a single yes-or-no answer.

Critics say this confuses voters by presenting a complicated premise and limits their ability to properly understand and debate the reforms, Reuters reported.

The interim government and political parties have also drawn criticism for framing a "yes" vote as essential, which critics say shrinks space for dissent by implying voting "no" means rejecting reform altogether.

(With Reuters inputs)