Darwin, August 20 — The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), currently the largest political party in Bangladesh, has clearly stated that it will not accept a proportional representation (PR) system in the upcoming national parliamentary elections. The party’s Secretary General, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, said, “We have made it clear — we will not accept PR in any way. The people of Bangladesh do not understand PR; they are not familiar with it.”
Fakhrul returned to the country on Tuesday at 6 PM through Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after a 7-day medical trip to Thailand. Speaking to reporters at the airport, he made these remarks.
He said, “We had to push hard to eliminate EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines). We have never used the PR system.”
Fakhrul further stated, “BNP is not in favor of elections under the PR system. There is no alternative to a national election for political and economic emancipation.”
He emphasized, “The people of the country want elections. The only way to resolve the crisis is through a swift election.”
Regarding the upcoming Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) elections, Fakhrul said, “We hope it will be held in a free, fair, and inclusive manner.”
Amid the discussions surrounding the upcoming national elections in Bangladesh, several political parties have raised demands for implementing a proportional representation system.
Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh has directly called for the upcoming election to be held under the PR system.
Islami Andolan Bangladesh has also supported the demand, stating that elections should be held under the PR system after appropriate reforms. The party has declared it will not accept any election without necessary reforms and justice.
Additionally, the National Citizen Party (NCP) has also demanded elections under the PR system. They believe that PR would better reflect proportional voting. NCP has called for constitutional amendments and elections to a constituent assembly. On the other hand, BNP remains opposed to the PR system.
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