Strongly opposing the introduction of a proportional representation (PR) system, BNP senior leader Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan on Saturday said it would only strengthen political parties while weakening the link between people and their elected representatives, ultimately causing suffering for the public.
“PR basically weakens the position of an individual representative and strengthens the party instead,” he said while speaking at a seminar.
The seminar, titled ‘Election 2026: A Critical Look at Proportional Representation’, was arranged by Cosmos Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Cosmos Group, at the Cosmos Centre in the capital’s Moghbazar area. United News of Bangladesh (UNB) was the media partner of the event.
UNB Editor-in-Chief Enayetullah Khan presided over the session.
Under the PR system, Dr Moyeen, a BNP Standing Committee member, said people would vote for a party, not an individual, and the party would then decide who becomes a member of parliament. “This goes against our fundamental democratic spirit, where people elect their own representatives who are directly accountable to them,” he said.
He warned that making parties stronger while weakening individuals would create a “self-contradictory system,” noting that in Bangladesh, people have always sought to prevent political parties from becoming too powerful.
