Case for a referendum in Bangladesh

The country’s National Charter proposes changes which need the assent of citizens, says Md. Imamunur Rehman

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Inthe crucible of Bangladesh's political evolution, the July National Charter 2025 has emerged as a transformative document - one that seeks to fundamentally recalibrate the nation's democratic architecture. With eighty-four reform proposals, half requiring constitutional amendments, the Charter has ignited a national debate about the very mechanisms of popular sovereignty. Central to this discourse is the vital question: should Bangladesh hold a referendum to ratify these monumental changes?

The argument that a referendum is both legally feasible and constitutionally desirable offers a rare, momentous opportunity to re-anchor the state's legitimacy in the direct will of the people, invoking the foundational principles of constitutionalism and democratic theory.

The July Charter proposes reforms (electoral reforms, redefining checks on executive power, introducing safeguards against parliamentary overreach etc.) that are not merely statutory tweaks, but implicate entrenched provisions of the Constitution. Under Article 142 of the Constitution of Bangladesh, constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority in Parliament.

However, the current political climatemarked by deep fragmentation and persistent democratic deficits - makes such a consensus elusive and politically insufficient. In a polarised democracy, an amendment passed solely by a supermajority risks being perceived as partisan, thus failing to achieve necessary political legitimacy. A referendum, therefore, becomes a pragmatic and principled alternative, enabling direct democratic endorsement and effectively immunising the reforms from future partisan challenges.