BNP Leader Salahuddin Ahmed Rules Out Proportional Representation for Bangladesh Elections

Dhaka, June 28, 2025: Salahuddin Ahmed, a member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) Standing Committee, has declared that the Proportional Representation (PR) system is not suitable for elections in Bangladesh. Speaking to journalists after an event in Dhaka, he acknowledged that some political groups might advocate for PR as a political demand, but imposing it universally is unwarranted. “We rejected this system for elections long ago,” he stated.

The comments were made on Saturday afternoon at the International Mother Language Institute in Segunbagicha, Dhaka, following the launch of a commemorative publication and archive titled *Ziaur Rahman: From the Battlefield to the Head of State*, organized by the Bangladesh Research Analysis Network (BRAIN).

Salahuddin emphasized that the PR system is incompatible with Bangladesh’s political reality and lacks historical precedent in the country’s parliamentary elections. “There is no history of proportional representation in Bangladesh’s parliamentary politics. It’s a new concept in our political culture, but it’s not applicable here,” he said. He noted that in countries where PR is implemented, it often leads to complex situations, with voters unaware of who their elected MP would be and unable to identify a specific representative for their concerns.

He further suggested that advocates of PR or those prioritizing local government elections before national polls may aim to delay or prevent elections altogether. “The people of Bangladesh are united. We have fought for 16-17 years, not for local elections, but for a free, fair, and neutral national election,” he said, referencing the sacrifices made during the student-led uprising and the lives lost in the struggle for voting rights. Salahuddin stressed the importance of establishing a strong democratic state through a credible national election. He clarified that the PR system has not yet been raised in the ongoing consensus commission discussions, but if it is, it will be addressed. “Our political culture and voting system are rooted in ‘one person, one vote,’ where voters directly elect their representatives in each constituency,” he concluded, reiterating BNP’s rejection of the PR system.