While several political parties have shown support for introducing a proportional representation system in parliamentary elections, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has voiced strong objections to the idea during the ongoing discussions with the National Consensus Commission.
Following Thursday’s second phase of talks, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said the political context of Bangladesh does not align with proportional elections.
If such a system is introduced, the government would face serious difficulties in making decisions in Parliament, he said.
“Many federal countries follow this method of election. But Bangladesh is not a federal state; it is a republic. Although some republics do have proportional representation, this system does not suit the political culture of Bangladesh at all," Salahuddin added.
Under such a system, Salahuddin said, passing legislation or amending the Constitution—both of which require a two-thirds majority in Parliament—would become highly challenging.
“Even securing 50 percent of the vote would become difficult,” he warned.
BNP forms committee to observe August-5 anniversary
During Thursday’s session, several political parties proposed that citizens should vote for parties rather than individual candidates.
Based on this system, the number of seats in Parliament would reflect the percentage of votes each party received—meaning a party receiving 10 percent of the vote would be allocated 30 out of 300 seats.
On the issue of electing the President, Salahuddin expressed support for the secret ballot system.
He said, “Since we have already agreed that, apart from four exceptions—confidence motions, money bills, constitutional amendments, and national security—MPs should have the freedom to vote independently, we have no objection to the President being elected by secret ballot.”
Regarding the tenure of the Prime Minister, Salahuddin said the discussion was only just beginning and no resolution had yet been reached.
“To resist autocracy and prevent dictatorship, we agree that no one should serve as Prime Minister for more than two consecutive terms. However, whether a person can return to the post after skipping a term is still under discussion," he said.
BNP disapproves NCC formation, says Salahuddin
The Commission is set to resume discussions with political parties on Sunday.
The next round of talks will cover topics such as the Prime Minister’s tenure, the Constitution and fundamental principles of the State, and the demarcation of electoral constituencies.