Tuesday, 14 October, 2025
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Sunday (October 12) that Bangladeshi voters overwhelmingly favour direct elections, rejecting the push by some quarters for a proportional representation (PR) system.
He noted that the demand for PR is being advanced mainly by a few political parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami, not by the National Reform Commission formed under the interim government.
Speaking at a memorial meeting organised by the Nationalist Like-minded Alliance at the Dhaka Reporters Unity, Fakhrul said the interim authorities were entrusted with the urgent responsibility of restoring a democratic environment following the fall of a 15-year “fascist” regime.
He said Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, who leads the National Consensus Commission and the ongoing reform process, had initiated several proposals for electoral and political restructuring. The final signing of these reform proposals is expected on October 17.
Fakhrul reiterated that the BNP supports genuine political reforms, rejecting as “false and misleading” any claim that the party opposes the reform process. “The people want to vote directly for their representatives — not through any complex formula that can be manipulated by political elites,” he said, referring to the PR proposal as one that “alienates voters from accountability.”
The proportional representation system, recently advocated by Jamaat-e-Islami and a few smaller groups, seeks to allocate parliamentary seats to parties based on their share of the national vote instead of direct contests in individual constituencies. Critics argue that such a system could empower unelected party hierarchies and weaken the bond between voters and their local representatives.
Mirza Fakhrul said the BNP wants the next national election to be held in February, reflecting the public demand for an early return to representative democracy. He urged that the current opportunity to “reawaken Bangladesh and restore democracy” must not be lost.
The event was presided over by Dr Fariduzzaman Farhad, coordinator of the Like-minded Nationalist Alliance.
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BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Sunday (October 12) that Bangladeshi voters overwhelmingly favour direct elections, rejecting the push by some quarters for a proportional representation (PR) system.
He noted that the demand for PR is being advanced mainly by a few political parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami, not by the National Reform Commission formed under the interim government.
Speaking at a memorial meeting organised by the Nationalist Like-minded Alliance at the Dhaka Reporters Unity, Fakhrul said the interim authorities were entrusted with the urgent responsibility of restoring a democratic environment following the fall of a 15-year “fascist” regime.
He said Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, who leads the National Consensus Commission and the ongoing reform process, had initiated several proposals for electoral and political restructuring. The final signing of these reform proposals is expected on October 17.
Fakhrul reiterated that the BNP supports genuine political reforms, rejecting as “false and misleading” any claim that the party opposes the reform process. “The people want to vote directly for their representatives — not through any complex formula that can be manipulated by political elites,” he said, referring to the PR proposal as one that “alienates voters from accountability.”
The proportional representation system, recently advocated by Jamaat-e-Islami and a few smaller groups, seeks to allocate parliamentary seats to parties based on their share of the national vote instead of direct contests in individual constituencies. Critics argue that such a system could empower unelected party hierarchies and weaken the bond between voters and their local representatives.
Mirza Fakhrul said the BNP wants the next national election to be held in February, reflecting the public demand for an early return to representative democracy. He urged that the current opportunity to “reawaken Bangladesh and restore democracy” must not be lost.
The event was presided over by Dr Fariduzzaman Farhad, coordinator of the Like-minded Nationalist Alliance.
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