DHAKA: Bangladesh’s main political parties have agreed to hold a referendum on a landmark reform charter after months of consultation, but are divided on when that will be held.

The South Asian nation of 170 million people has been in political turmoil since Sheikh Hasina was ousted as prime minister by a student-led revolt in August 2024.

Interim leader Muhammad Yunus has backed the sweeping 28-page draft, dubbed the “July Charter” after last year’s student-led uprising, which includes proposals for a two-term limit for prime ministers and expanded presidential powers.

It also aims to enshrine the recognition of Bangladesh as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation, and provide better checks and balances between the executive, parliament and the presidency.

Yunus, 85, has championed the charter as his legacy, saying he inherited a “completely broken down” system and that reforms were needed to prevent a return to authoritarian rule.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner has pledged to step down after elections scheduled for February 2026.

Ali Riaz, vice-chairman of the Consensus Commission, has been leading rounds of marathon talks with around 30 parties.

In September, Riaz said that parties had agreed on multiple reform proposals “with only a few notes of dissent”, but remained split on how to implement them.

The Consensus Commission, in a statement on Thursday, said parties had agreed to hold a referendum, but not on its timing.

Some parties, including Jamaat-i-Islami, want the referendum held before polls.

Others, including the powerful Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), a key frontrunner, argue it should be held on the same day as the vote to avoid delays.

“Some political parties want both the referendum and the parliamentary election to be held on the same day,” Riaz told reporters late on Wednesday, after a nine-hour meeting in Dhaka.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2025