Published : 02 Jul 2025, 06:54 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 01:28 PM
BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has called on political leaders to reconsider the proposal for a proportional representation (PR) electoral system, warning it could allow defeated “anti-democratic forces” to regain influence unnoticed.
Speaking virtually from London at a special event in Dhaka on Tuesday, he stressed the need for national consensus among political parties even if complete agreement on every issue is not possible.
The event marked the first anniversary of the July Uprising and was held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre.
Several thousand BNP leaders, activists, and senior figures from different political parties attended.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia joined the event virtually, urging political unity to institutionalise democracy.
The programme began with a documentary screening about the mass uprising.
Families of those killed during the protests were honoured, receiving crests from BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir Chowdhury.
Referring to some political parties’ advocacy for a proportional electoral system, Tarique said: “Whether this system ends up causing divisions rather than unity, whether it leads to unstable rule -- these are matters we must reconsider with urgency.”
He cautioned that this could unintentionally open the door for “defeated forces” to quietly re-enter politics.
The BNP leader also warned that constantly introducing new political agendas could give “conspirators” fresh opportunities to regroup.
He reaffirmed BNP’s commitment to “anti-fascist” unity, saying the alliance remains “strong” and is expected to hold firm in future.
Tarique said if elected, the BNP plans to form a national government and prioritise implementation of development programmes, aiming to build a corruption-free, safe, and democratic Bangladesh.
He noted that alongside political and state reforms, the interim government had initiated legal proceedings against ousted “fascist” actors who are still “active” ahead of the next election.
Calling on political parties to avoid expanding demands arbitrarily, he urged them to honour the sacrifices made during the movement by working together to rebuild the country.
