BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed has said the people of Bangladesh are now focused on the upcoming election, and anyone attempting to obstruct the process will be politically rejected.
“Across the country, there is now a growing election atmosphere. The public, as well as aspiring candidates, are engaging in voter outreach. If any party tries to create confusion or hinder the election process, the people will identify them and reject them politically,” he told reporters on Tuesday morning.
He made the remarks after paying tribute at the grave of BNP founder and former President Ziaur Rahman in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, on the occasion of the 46th founding anniversary of the BNP-affiliated Ulama Dal. Salahuddin Ahmed also participated in a special prayer for Ziaur Rahman’s departed soul.
The programme was led by Maulana Kazi Mohammad Selim Reza, convenor of the Ulama Dal, and Maulana Kazi Mohammad Abul Hossain, its member secretary.
He mentioned that Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, speaking at an event in New York, claimed that certain international quarters are allegedly attempting to disrupt the upcoming election and that conspiracies are underway both inside and outside the country.
In response to Chief Adviser’s remarks, Salahuddin Ahmed said that attempts to undermine Bangladesh’s democratic electoral process are clearly visible.
“It appears that certain quarters are actively conspiring to disrupt the democratic election process. There could be international involvement as well. But the people of Bangladesh are united. In the post-uprising scenario, they are determined. Whoever tries to create obstacles, both local or foreign, will be resisted by the people,” he said.
Salahuddin Ahmed also criticised calls for introducing a Proportional Representation (PR) electoral system, describing it as a model for permanent instability.
“PR stands for ‘Permanent Restlessness’ in our view,” he quipped. “Wherever this system has been implemented, it has failed to produce stable governments. Parliaments end up hung, and the country remains in a constant state of political uncertainty.”
Citing survey data, he claimed 56 per cent of people opposed the PR model. “Some parties claim 70 per cent support it, but if the majority don’t even understand the system, how can that figure be accurate?” he questioned.
“We believe in the PR that stands for public relations, meaning direct voter engagement,” he added. “Those who want to establish proportional representation as a system of permanent restlessness will never succeed.”
