United News of Bangladesh

BNP senior leader Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Wednesday said there is no scope to make a major decision to introduce the Proportional Representation (PR) system for elections without an elected parliament. “There is no mention of the Proportional Representation system in our 31-point proposal. Those who are talking about such a major change in the election system cannot do it without the next parliament,” he said. Khosru, a BNP Standing Committee member, made the remark while talking to reporters after holding meetings at the BNP Chairperson’s office in Gulshan with four political parties and alliances--Bangladesh Jonodhikar Party, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), Am Janatar Dal and Gonotantrik Bam Oikya. He recalled that when the country shifted from a presidential to a parliamentary system, all major parties in parliament agreed together and passed it there. Tarique urges BNP to stay vigilant against election conspiracies “If any party wants elections to be held under a proportional system… With respect to their opinion, I must say that they should take this idea to the people, get a mandate in the next election, and then raise it in the next parliament. Any fundamental change must be placed before the people through elections and passed in parliament,” the BNP leader said. At this stage, Khosru said the proportional election system is not even a subject for discussion. In response to a question about reforms, he said BNP has already mentioned where it has reached consensus — such as the proposal for a bicameral parliament, and the idea that no one can be Prime Minister more than twice. “These are basically BNP’s proposals. So, in fact, there is already a lot of consensus.” “But we must remember that it’s not possible to agree on everything. We are not forming a one-party state (Baksal)… The issues where there is agreement will go forward through consensus. For the rest, each party will go to the people, seek their opinion, and act accordingly,” he observed. Earlier, Khosru, along with BNP Standing Committee Member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku and Vice Chairman Barkat Ullah Bulu, held separate meetings at the Chairperson’s office.

European Union (EU) Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller on Thursday conveyed to the BNP his hope that democratic order will soon be restored in Bangladesh through a free, fair and credible national election. The EU envoy expressed this hope during a meeting with BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury at the party chairperson’s office in Gulshan. BNP Organising Secretary Shama Obaed was also present at the meeting. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Khosru said, “The first thing that was discussed was the election. The election is being held in February, so everyone is relieved and satisfied, and they hope that we will move towards elections soon and the country will return to democratic order.” Like other foreign friends, he said the EU is waiting for an elected government so that they can decide their future actions and make the short-term and long-term decisions they have. Khaleda’s Sweet Diplomacy: Seasonal fruits headed to Qatari royalty and PM “Because they feel comfortable working with an elected government, we have had detailed discussions about these,” Khosru said. Besides, he said, the problems and rights of workers in Bangladesh were also discussed at the meeting. Khosru said the EU wants to cooperate with the future parliament so that its activities can be conducted independently, properly and with accountability. He said they also talked about the transparency and independence of the judiciary. “They support the BNP's proposal to establish a separate secretariat for the independent functioning of the judiciary and they are willing to provide funding for it.” The BNP leader said the European Union wants to be a partner in the development of Bangladesh in the future. Apart from their aid and loans, he said they are thinking about providing funds in different other ways. “They are thinking about new ways of funding. They want to cooperate with the next government economically and be a development partner of Bangladesh. This is a good sign.”

BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Friday alleged that the interim government echoes the rhetoric of ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina when they talk about elections and reforms. Speaking at an Iftar gathering organised in honour of journalists at a club in Chattogram city, he demanded the restoration of voting rights and the announcement of an election date without delay. “The only way to ensure the people’s freedom is through a fair election, but under the guise of reforms, the process is being prolonged,” Khosru said. Govt creating confusion over national election, alleges Rizvi He said that previous authoritarian governments deprived people of fair elections by promoting the narratives of development and the current government is following the same path. Chattogram Metropolitan BNP Convener Ershad Ullah, former Member Secretary Abul Hashem Bakkar, and senior journalists Jahidul Karim Kochi, Moazzemul Haque, Jasim Chowdhury Sabuj, Saleh Noman, Riaz Haider Chowdhury, and Saiful Islam Shilpi, among many others, attended the event.

BNP senior leader Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Saturday said there is no alternative to establishing an elected parliament and government for restoring people's ownership of the country and fulfilling their aspirations. “Now is the time to restore people’s ownership of Bangladesh. This means fully ensuring their right to vote fully so that they can elect a parliament and government that will be accountable to them. There’s no alternative to this,” he said. The BNP leader made the remarks while speaking at the sixth national council of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh. Khosru, a member of the BNP Standing Committee, said that a monster like Hasina was created because she never required votes as she usurped power through one-sided elections repeatedly. People won’t wait indefinitely for elections: BNP  He said Sheikh Hasina snatched people's voting rights, violated human rights and undermined the rule of law. “Restoring people's ownership is the main issue now, and this must be achieved by holding free, fair and acceptable elections and reestablishing democracy.” The BNP leader said Sheikh Hasina was removed through a national unity. “We must maintain that unity to achieve our goal of restoring people's ownership of Bangladesh.” He insisted that there has been a significant shift in people's mindset, with new thoughts and aspirations emerging about the future of Bangladesh. Khosru said the nation must move forward to realise the people's desires by maintaining unity. “If politicians fail to understand the nation’s needs and changes in mindset, then politics will have no future,” he warned. He also said there should be no division among political parties on fundamental issues like democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and the economic emancipation of the people. The BNP leader acknowledged that while there may be differences of opinion among political parties, they must respect one another to fulfill people's desires through healthy political practices. He also said the only way to restore democratic order in the country is by holding credible, neutral, and inclusive elections through promptly carrying out electoral reforms. Khosru alleged that Sheikh Hasina has destroyed the country's institutions and political structure, which must be reformed. Banning BCL not enough, illegal arms holders must face justice: BNP He mentioned that their party, led by Khaleda Zia, first presented reform proposals six years ago by unveiling the Vision-2030. Later, the BNP leader said that their party, together with other democratic parties, put forward a 31-point proposal for state reforms. “These aren’t just BNP proposals as those were formulated with other parties who’re in our simultaneous movement. Reform isn’t new to us. We need to implement the 31-point reform and form a national government after the elections. We’re committed to this.” He said there are no differences of opinion about the need for electoral reforms to ensure a credible and acceptable election. “This is an easy task. You (govt) just need to form the election commission and update the voter list for a transparent election. The remaining basic reforms can be achieved through national consensus.”