BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has warned that implementing a proportional representation voting system could push the country back toward authoritarian rule.
Speaking at an event in Rangpur on Thursday, he argued that this system would hinder grassroots leadership development.
Rizvi made these remarks as the chief guest at a voluntary blood donation and blood grouping program organized by the Doctors’ Association of Bangladesh (DAB) Rangpur branch. The event was part of BNP’s central programmes marking the July mass uprising and “Victory Anniversary.”
Launching a scathing critique of proportional representation, Rizvi stated: “Why impose this system? It prevents local leadership cultivation. We stand for traditional democracy where legitimate voters directly elect area representatives.”
“Under proportional voting, someone who has served communities for years can’t run; you vote for parties instead. Then parties handpick MPs. This entrenches autocracy further,” he added.
The senior BNP leader questioned: “Why propose this for 180 million people when 120 million are voters? The democracy people sacrificed lives for, shed blood for, endured imprisonment for, that is now under threat.”
“For 16 years, the youth could not sleep peacefully. Daily, we wondered who’d disappear next, whose bloodied body would surface by Teesta, Padma, or Shitalakshya rivers. None escaped Sheikh Hasina’s oppression. Democratic forces must unite to prevent these bloodthirsty forces from returning,” Rizvi asserted.
Addressing party workers, he cautioned: “No BNP member may engage in extortion or land-grabbing. Ensure public interactions remain respectful. The party will show zero tolerance and take immediate action against violators.”