Referendum Results: Nearly 1.1 Million Votes Reduced

The Bangladesh Election Commission (EC) has issued a major revision to the official results of the referendum conducted on the proposed constitutional reforms under the ‘July National Charter’, following the 2024 student-led popular uprising. According to the newly released amendment, both the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ votes have decreased compared with the initially published figures, reflecting a significant adjustment in the overall voting data.

On Thursday, 26 February, the EC released an additional gazette notification, signed by Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed, formally announcing the updated vote counts. The notification cites the referendum held on 12 February, 2025, which sought the public’s approval of the constitutional amendments enacted under the ‘July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order, 2025’. The initial results had been published in the official gazette on 13 February.

According to the original gazette, the vote counts were as follows:

The revised gazette now reports a decrease in both affirmative and negative votes:

Analysis of the revised results shows that the ‘Yes’ votes fell by approximately 974,680, while the ‘No’ votes decreased by 111,495. Despite the reduction in valid votes, the number of invalid ballots rose slightly by 12,559. Overall, the total number of votes cast decreased by 1,073,616.

The Election Commission has not provided a detailed explanation for the revision but indicated that the changes were issued under its formal directive. Observers suggest that the adjustments could stem from data verification processes, technical errors, or clerical revisions in the vote counting.

The referendum is a crucial step in finalising the constitutional validity and public acceptance of the July National Charter, which seeks to implement sweeping reforms following the nationwide student-led movement. With the revised results, the EC’s transparency and the accuracy of the referendum remain under public scrutiny, highlighting the importance of clear electoral processes and accountability.

The updated figures are expected to play a decisive role in the final ratification of the constitutional amendments, marking a pivotal moment in Bangladesh’s democratic and legislative history.