Social Welfare and Women and Children Adviser Sharmeen S Murshid joinined a referendum promotion and voters’ motivation view-exchange meeting at the conference room of the Jhenaidah Deputy Commissioner’s office. Photo: BSS

JHENAIDAH, Jan 20, 2026 (BSS) - Social Welfare and Women and Children Adviser Sharmeen S Murshid today said voting 'No' in the referendum means going against the mass uprising of 2024 and standing in favour of dictatorship.

“If you want a new Bangladesh and reforms, there is no alternative to voting 'Yes' in the referendum,” the adviser told journalists after joining a referendum promotion and voters’ motivation view-exchange meeting at the conference room of the Jhenaidah Deputy Commissioner’s office here.

Sharmeen said there is no room for neutrality in the referendum. 

“Either I am in favour of the mass uprising, for these boys and girls, for the July martyrs, or I am in favour of Hadi, or I want a new Bangladesh, or I do not want it,” she said. 

The Adviser said there may be some people in the country who are beneficiaries of the past fascist regime and they may stand in favour of 'No' in the referendum. 

“They basically do not want change. They do not want a new Bangladesh,” she said.

Sharmeen said if the general people votes in favour of 'Yes' through this referendum, the door to reforms will open. 

“We are a government of mass uprising. Therefore, our position is clear. We are in favour of the referendum and our position is in favour of 'Yes'. We want people to understand why a referendum is necessary for them,” she said.

Chaired by Jhenaidah Deputy Commissioner Md. Abdullah Al Masod, the meeting was attended, among others, by Deputy Director (Local Government) Rathindra Nath Roy and Additional Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Saifur Rahman.