‘Yes’ triumphs in Bangladesh referendum with 60% turnout

Dhaka: A referendum on the implementation of a reform package saw a 60.26 per cent voter turnout in Bangladesh, with the 'yes' vote winning a clear majority, the Election Commission announced Friday.

The voting for the 13th parliamentary elections was held on Thursday along with the referendum on the complex 84-point reform package, known as the July National Charter.

The referendum saw a 60.26 per cent voter turnout, The Daily Star quoted the Election Commission (EC) as saying.

As per the official figures, 4,80,74,429 votes were cast in favour of "yes", while 2,25,65,627 voters chose "no", EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said while talking to reporters at the EC.

The referendum had sought people's consent to the July National Charter 2025, which Interim government chief Muhammad Yunus announced on October 17 after protracted consultations between the political parties and the National Consensus Commission that he headed.

The referendum ballot featured a single question covering four major reform areas of the July Charter and the voters were instructed to vote 'yes' if they agreed more strongly with the proposals and 'no' if they disagreed.

Voting was held in 299 out of 300 constituencies as polling in one constituency was suspended following the death of a candidate.

Results of the national parliamentary election have so far been announced in 297 constituencies after the High Court imposed a bar on declaring results in two seats, The Daily Star said.

However, the EC officials said there was no legal bar on announcing the referendum results in those two constituencies.

The referendum votes from the two seats were included in the final tally, making 60.26 per cent voter turnout, the EC added.

According to the unofficial results announced by the Election Commission (EC), the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has bagged 209 out of 297 seats, while right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami secured 68 seats. The Awami League party of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was barred from contesting the polls, which recorded 59.44 per cent voter turnout.

The July Charter's key-author and co-chair of the National Consensus Commission Ali Reaz earlier said if "yes" wins, the next parliament will serve as a constitutional reform council, virtually a Constituent Assembly, and within 180 working days, they would have to take steps to carry out constitutional reforms as proposed.