BNP’s Salahuddin warns against accepting ‘unconstitutional demands’

Salahuddin says the purpose of the PR system is to ‘ensure instability’

Senior BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmad has warned against accepting any party's “unconstitutional demands” that could push the nation into crisis.

On Thursday, he urged those wishing to govern by law to avoid submitting to any political, non-political, illegal, or unconstitutional demands that could destabilise the country.

Speaking at a discussion, Salahuddin emphasised the importance of constitutional continuity,

He reiterated that the interim government has repeatedly expressed commitment towards maintaining constitutional continuity, and stressed that the country must be governed under the rule of law to ensure the future establishment of a lawful state.

“Merely declaring the rule of law isn’t enough, we must practice it,” he said.

He also proposed that to eliminate autocracy, a prime minister should serve for no more than a decade, thereby ensuring that authoritarianism has no room in the future.

Salahuddin added, “You, as legal guardians, must protect against any form of tyranny, whether personal, political, or constitutional.”

‘PERMANENT INSTABILITY’

Salahuddin criticised the proportional representation (PR) system, describing it as a method for creating ‘permanent instability’, citing Nepal's experience.

He said the PR systems often lead to long delays in forming a government.

He questioned who is pushing for PR in Bangladesh, suggesting that the motivation is to “secure more seats”, which would benefit external powers who do not want Bangladesh to be politically or economically stable.

He said, “If instability persists, another ‘fascist’ like Sheikh Hasina could rise to power, allowing external forces to assert their interests.”