People’s verdict favours constitutional reforms: Ali Riaz

Over 60 percent of voters took part in the February 12 referendum and gave a clear mandate in favour of constitutional reforms proposed under the July National Charter, Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Prof Ali Riaz said today.

“Bangladesh’s citizens have clearly and without hesitation expressed their verdict in favour of constitutional reforms. They do not want to return to the old system or maintain the status quo. They want change and reform in the state structure,” he said while briefing journalists at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.

According to figures provided by the Election Commission of Bangladesh, 77,695,023 voters cast their ballots in the referendum, which is about 60.84 percent of total voters. Of them, 48,200,660 voters, or 68.06 percent of the votes cast, voted “yes”, while 22,071,726 voters, around 31 percent, voted “no”.

Ali Riaz said the turnout in the referendum was slightly higher than that of the parliamentary election, although final figures of three constituencies are yet to be added.

He said once results from all 300 seats are included, the turnout gap may narrow. He also noted that some voters cast ballots only in the referendum, skipping the parliamentary vote.

Describing the outcome as more than just numbers, Ali Riaz said the verdict reflects the spirit of the July 2024 mass uprising and carries the responsibility entrusted by those who were killed, injured or repressed during the movement.

“This verdict is an expression of the people’s desire to build institutions so that repression and injustice are not repeated,” he said.

He stressed that the overwhelming “yes” vote represents a direct public mandate and should be treated as a state agenda, not merely a government position.

“Through the referendum, people directly approved large-scale constitutional reforms. In an election, voters indirectly approve party manifestos. But in the referendum, they directly approved reform proposals,” he said.

He said that nearly 48 reform recommendations under four broad categories were placed before the people.

Leaders of major political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party, had publicly urged voters to support the “yes” vote, which he said reflected a broader political commitment.

Under the Constitution Reform Order 2025, elected members of parliament will also serve as members of the Constitution Reform Council.

They will take two separate oaths -- one as lawmakers and another as council members -- and will have 180 days to complete the reform process.

Responding to questions about differences between the referendum proposals and the manifesto of the election-winning Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Ali Riaz said political responsibility goes beyond legal wording and expressed hope that all parties would work through dialogue to implement the reform in line with the public mandate.

On the future role of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, Ali Riaz said Yunus had earlier expressed his intention to return to his previous responsibilities.

He confirmed that the National Consensus Commission completed its tenure on October 30 last year and currently has no formal role. He attended the briefing as chief coordinator of the referendum awareness campaign.

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Daily Star | February 14, 2026