Wednesday, 22 October, 2025
Bangladesh’s political chessboard is heating up as Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus finds himself walking a tightrope between reform and stability ahead of the February national election. While the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has urged the interim government to act as a neutral caretaker, Jamaat-e-Islami is pushing a proposal that could upend the entire process — a proportional representation (PR) system that critics call nothing short of a political trap.
The Chief Adviser met a BNP delegation on Tuesday evening at the State Guest House Jamuna, where the opposition demanded a fair and credible election. A day later, he is set to sit with Jamaat’s top brass, in what insiders describe as a “high-stakes dialogue” that may determine whether the Islamist party will join the polls or boycott them under pressure.
According to the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing, Professor Yunus assured BNP leaders that “every step will be taken to ensure peace, neutrality, and credibility in the upcoming election.” He said the administration would be reshuffled based on merit, not loyalty, and that he personally would oversee the posting of deputy commissioners and key officers.
“The election is a grand national event,” Yunus told the delegation. “We will not tolerate partisan interference from any quarter.”
But behind this confident assurance lies a political dilemma that could test Yunus’s entire transition project.
For Professor Yunus, the PR debate has become a test of his political balance. His government, formed after the collapse of the previous autocratic regime, faces pressure from reformists to rebuild democratic institutions, while political parties are already jostling for advantage ahead of the polls.
Jamaat’s Power Play: A Tactical Push for PR
Jamaat’s four-member delegation — led by Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher and including Secretary General Prof Mia Golam Porwar, Rafiqul Islam Khan, and Hamidur Rahman Azad — is expected to press Yunus to hold a national referendum on proportional representation, arguing that such a system would make the parliament more “inclusive.”
Yet analysts, opposition leaders, and even members of the Consensus Commission see the demand as a strategic ploy — designed not to democratise the system but to manufacture political leverage for a party struggling to regain relevance.
Under the PR model, seats are allocated based on national vote share rather than constituency victories. For a party like Jamaat, whose support is scattered across districts but rarely strong enough to win outright, PR could ensure parliamentary presence without winning a single direct seat.
“Jamaat is playing the long game,” one senior political analyst told The Bangladesh Express. “They know the PR system could turn their 6–8% national vote share into a parliamentary bloc. This is less about reform and more about survival.”
BNP and NCP Push Back
The BNP wasted no time rejecting the PR idea, calling it “unconstitutional and a deliberate diversion.” After the meeting with Yunus, Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the proposal would “decouple elected representatives from their voters” and undermine the principle of direct accountability.
“People elect individuals, not party lists,” Fakhrul said. “This proportional representation gimmick is being used by forces that fear facing the electorate.”
The National Citizens Party (NCP), led by Nahid Islam, also lashed out at Jamaat’s campaign, describing it as a “malicious attempt to derail the national reform agenda.” Nahid — a key organiser of the July 2024 Revolution — accused Jamaat of trying to hijack the transition process and warned that “no manipulative force will be allowed to rewrite the rules of democracy.”
In a fiery social media post, he wrote:
“The PR slogan is a smokescreen. It’s not reform — it’s deception. Those who destroyed our democracy now want to bend its structure in their favour.”
Yunus Between Reform and Realpolitik
For Professor Yunus, the PR debate has become a test of his political balance. His government, formed after the collapse of the previous autocratic regime, faces pressure from reformists to rebuild democratic institutions, while political parties are already jostling for advantage ahead of the polls.
Insiders say Yunus’s strategy so far has been one of measured neutrality — engaging all parties without committing to radical changes that could destabilise the election timeline.
“He’s walking a tightrope,” said a senior member of the Consensus Commission. “If Yunus yields to Jamaat’s PR demand, he risks losing the confidence of the BNP and NCP. If he rejects it outright, Jamaat could boycott the polls and cry foul.”
Yunus, who oversees the Public Administration Ministry, has signalled that electoral reforms must not compromise the February timeline. His priority, he told advisers, is to “deliver an election that restores credibility — not confusion.”
A Loaded Reform Debate
What began as a technical policy discussion has now turned into an ideological showdown over the future of democracy in Bangladesh. Proponents of PR claim it will diversify representation, while opponents fear it will empower party bosses and dilute the voter’s voice.
Governance experts have voiced caution. A Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) study warned that proportional systems often lead to political deadlock and unstable coalitions, especially in countries with polarised, personality-driven politics.
At a recent forum, Prof Nizam Ahmed and Dr Khandaker Golam Moazzem noted that Bangladesh’s weak institutional framework could turn PR into a “mechanism for elite power-sharing, not public accountability.”
The CPD recommended strengthening the existing parliament instead — through more transparent party financing, stronger local governance, and a truly independent Election Commission.
The Stakes: Credibility vs Chaos
With just months before the polls, the proportional representation debate has become the first major fault line of the Yunus-led transition. For many, it’s a litmus test of whether Bangladesh’s political actors can rise above tactical self-interest.
If Jamaat refuses to participate without PR, the interim government could face both a political boycott and a propaganda war, jeopardising Yunus’s carefully constructed roadmap for reform. But giving in to Jamaat’s pressure could alienate the larger opposition bloc — the BNP, NCP, and smaller civil forces who form the backbone of the July National Charter 2025.
“The PR issue is not about fairness — it’s about fear,” said a veteran civil servant. “Jamaat knows it can’t win seats under the current system, so it’s trying to rewrite the rules. The Chief Adviser must see through that.”
As the Chief Adviser continues his dialogue marathon, the nation watches closely. Each meeting, each statement, each reform promise is now part of a high-stakes balancing act — one that could either solidify the credibility of the upcoming election or plunge the transition into fresh uncertainty.
Bottom Line
The coming weeks will decide whether Professor Yunus’s government can withstand pressure from opportunistic politics and hold firm to its reform mandate. Jamaat’s proportional representation push has turned into a stress test for the entire transition, exposing the fine line between democratic reform and political manipulation.
For now, Yunus’s message remains measured but firm: “Peace, neutrality, and a fair election.” But in a political landscape where every promise is parsed for hidden motives, even neutrality may prove the hardest act of all.
( The writer is the Editor of THE BANGLADESH EXPRESS, the Founder Chairman of Bangladesh Journalists’ Foundation For Consumers & Investors (BJFCI) and Former Information and Research Secretary of JASAS Central Committee. He may be reached at email: [email protected])
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Bangladesh’s political chessboard is heating up as Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus finds himself walking a tightrope between reform and stability ahead of the February national election. While the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has urged the interim government to act as a neutral caretaker, Jamaat-e-Islami is pushing a proposal that could upend the entire process — a proportional representation (PR) system that critics call nothing short of a political trap.
The Chief Adviser met a BNP delegation on Tuesday evening at the State Guest House Jamuna, where the opposition demanded a fair and credible election. A day later, he is set to sit with Jamaat’s top brass, in what insiders describe as a “high-stakes dialogue” that may determine whether the Islamist party will join the polls or boycott them under pressure.
According to the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing, Professor Yunus assured BNP leaders that “every step will be taken to ensure peace, neutrality, and credibility in the upcoming election.” He said the administration would be reshuffled based on merit, not loyalty, and that he personally would oversee the posting of deputy commissioners and key officers.
“The election is a grand national event,” Yunus told the delegation. “We will not tolerate partisan interference from any quarter.”
But behind this confident assurance lies a political dilemma that could test Yunus’s entire transition project.
For Professor Yunus, the PR debate has become a test of his political balance. His government, formed after the collapse of the previous autocratic regime, faces pressure from reformists to rebuild democratic institutions, while political parties are already jostling for advantage ahead of the polls.
Jamaat’s Power Play: A Tactical Push for PR
Jamaat’s four-member delegation — led by Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher and including Secretary General Prof Mia Golam Porwar, Rafiqul Islam Khan, and Hamidur Rahman Azad — is expected to press Yunus to hold a national referendum on proportional representation, arguing that such a system would make the parliament more “inclusive.”
Yet analysts, opposition leaders, and even members of the Consensus Commission see the demand as a strategic ploy — designed not to democratise the system but to manufacture political leverage for a party struggling to regain relevance.
Under the PR model, seats are allocated based on national vote share rather than constituency victories. For a party like Jamaat, whose support is scattered across districts but rarely strong enough to win outright, PR could ensure parliamentary presence without winning a single direct seat.
“Jamaat is playing the long game,” one senior political analyst told The Bangladesh Express. “They know the PR system could turn their 6–8% national vote share into a parliamentary bloc. This is less about reform and more about survival.”
BNP and NCP Push Back
The BNP wasted no time rejecting the PR idea, calling it “unconstitutional and a deliberate diversion.” After the meeting with Yunus, Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the proposal would “decouple elected representatives from their voters” and undermine the principle of direct accountability.
“People elect individuals, not party lists,” Fakhrul said. “This proportional representation gimmick is being used by forces that fear facing the electorate.”
The National Citizens Party (NCP), led by Nahid Islam, also lashed out at Jamaat’s campaign, describing it as a “malicious attempt to derail the national reform agenda.” Nahid — a key organiser of the July 2024 Revolution — accused Jamaat of trying to hijack the transition process and warned that “no manipulative force will be allowed to rewrite the rules of democracy.”
In a fiery social media post, he wrote:
“The PR slogan is a smokescreen. It’s not reform — it’s deception. Those who destroyed our democracy now want to bend its structure in their favour.”
Yunus Between Reform and Realpolitik
For Professor Yunus, the PR debate has become a test of his political balance. His government, formed after the collapse of the previous autocratic regime, faces pressure from reformists to rebuild democratic institutions, while political parties are already jostling for advantage ahead of the polls.
Insiders say Yunus’s strategy so far has been one of measured neutrality — engaging all parties without committing to radical changes that could destabilise the election timeline.
“He’s walking a tightrope,” said a senior member of the Consensus Commission. “If Yunus yields to Jamaat’s PR demand, he risks losing the confidence of the BNP and NCP. If he rejects it outright, Jamaat could boycott the polls and cry foul.”
Yunus, who oversees the Public Administration Ministry, has signalled that electoral reforms must not compromise the February timeline. His priority, he told advisers, is to “deliver an election that restores credibility — not confusion.”
A Loaded Reform Debate
What began as a technical policy discussion has now turned into an ideological showdown over the future of democracy in Bangladesh. Proponents of PR claim it will diversify representation, while opponents fear it will empower party bosses and dilute the voter’s voice.
Governance experts have voiced caution. A Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) study warned that proportional systems often lead to political deadlock and unstable coalitions, especially in countries with polarised, personality-driven politics.
At a recent forum, Prof Nizam Ahmed and Dr Khandaker Golam Moazzem noted that Bangladesh’s weak institutional framework could turn PR into a “mechanism for elite power-sharing, not public accountability.”
The CPD recommended strengthening the existing parliament instead — through more transparent party financing, stronger local governance, and a truly independent Election Commission.
The Stakes: Credibility vs Chaos
With just months before the polls, the proportional representation debate has become the first major fault line of the Yunus-led transition. For many, it’s a litmus test of whether Bangladesh’s political actors can rise above tactical self-interest.
If Jamaat refuses to participate without PR, the interim government could face both a political boycott and a propaganda war, jeopardising Yunus’s carefully constructed roadmap for reform. But giving in to Jamaat’s pressure could alienate the larger opposition bloc — the BNP, NCP, and smaller civil forces who form the backbone of the July National Charter 2025.
“The PR issue is not about fairness — it’s about fear,” said a veteran civil servant. “Jamaat knows it can’t win seats under the current system, so it’s trying to rewrite the rules. The Chief Adviser must see through that.”
As the Chief Adviser continues his dialogue marathon, the nation watches closely. Each meeting, each statement, each reform promise is now part of a high-stakes balancing act — one that could either solidify the credibility of the upcoming election or plunge the transition into fresh uncertainty.
Bottom Line
The coming weeks will decide whether Professor Yunus’s government can withstand pressure from opportunistic politics and hold firm to its reform mandate. Jamaat’s proportional representation push has turned into a stress test for the entire transition, exposing the fine line between democratic reform and political manipulation.
For now, Yunus’s message remains measured but firm: “Peace, neutrality, and a fair election.” But in a political landscape where every promise is parsed for hidden motives, even neutrality may prove the hardest act of all.
( The writer is the Editor of THE BANGLADESH EXPRESS, the Founder Chairman of Bangladesh Journalists’ Foundation For Consumers & Investors (BJFCI) and Former Information and Research Secretary of JASAS Central Committee. He may be reached at email: [email protected])
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