BNP says PR-protest is ploy to delay election, Mirza Fakhrul warns

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary-general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has accused some political actors of using protests over the proportional representation (PR) system as a pretext to delay the national election.

He made the remarks on Sunday, 12 October, at a commemorative meeting held in the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) auditorium.

Mirza Fakhrul said discussions over long‑promised electoral reforms have been ongoing for some time. He argued that the reform proposals brought forward by the reform commission largely reflect changes the BNP has already included in its 31‑point demand sheet.

He added that a certificate-signing (sannad) ceremony on the reforms is scheduled for Friday, 17 October, and that outstanding disagreements should be resolved by granting mandates at election time.

“The reform commission has not itself brought this PR proposal; some political parties have. The PR debate and the movement around it are aimed at delaying the election,” he told the DRU gathering.

Mirza Fakhrul questioned whether the public actually understands the new proportional representation model, and warned that the people will not accept PR if it is forced upon them. He reiterated BNP’s prior stance that any imposition would be rejected by the electorate.

He said the public want an election that will restore democratic governance and allow citizens to fulfil their aspirations. He was sceptical that meaningful reform could be enacted overnight within 14 months, and emphasised the people’s desire to return to a genuine democratic system rather than to accept hurried or imposed fixes.

Mirza Fakhrul also said the BNP aspires to build a self-reliant Bangladesh and expressed confidence that once an election is held, the electorate will choose a party that has been tested in public service.

He urged citizens to guard the democratic space the country has, warning that some groups are attempting to make the public forget the history of 1971. He described those efforts as conspiracies but expressed faith in the people’s power to defeat them.

“People will not lose the democratic opportunities they have gained,” he said. “Because of 1971, we can dream for our country today; there are many conspiracies, but the people have the strength to overcome them.”