Dhaka, Jan. 20 -- The streets of Mohakhali buzz with the usual chaos -- tea stalls steaming, rickshaws weaving, workers rushing past. Yet, beneath the ordinary hum, a quiet confusion lingers. Citizens talk about a referendum, but few understand its purpose, the questions it poses, or what a "Yes" or "No" vote will mean for the country's future.

Shanto Ahmed Ratan, a tea seller, shrugs: "I hear there will be a referendum along with the vote. But I don't know how it will work, what I'm supposed to vote for, or what happens if I vote Yes or No."

His uncertainty is widely shared -- not only among low-income workers, but across social classes -- even as the interim government mounts an unusually forceful campaign urging voters to choose one ...