Electoral Reform: Most parties for proportionate representation

Leaders of five political parties yesterday proposed introducing a proportionate representation system in elections during a seminar in Dhaka, while a BNP leader dismissed the idea as “illogical”.
The seminar, titled “How to Reform the Electoral System?” was held at the CIRDAP auditorium and organised by the Reporters Forum for Election and Democracy (RFED).
While representatives from BNP and four other political parties reached a consensus on bringing back the caretaker government by abolishing the fifteenth amendment, the BNP leader remained opposed to any shift towards a proportionate representation system, despite support from other parties.
What is Proportionate Representation?
Proportionate representation (PR) is an electoral system in which seats in parliament are allocated to political parties based on the proportion of votes they receive in an election. Unlike the current first-past-the-post (FPTP) system, where the candidate with the most votes wins a seat, PR ensures that political parties gain representation that mirrors their share of the national vote.
At the seminar, BNP Vice Chairman Asaduzzaman Ripon rejected the PR system, calling it impractical for Bangladesh.
He argued that reforms should be grounded in reality.
On the caretaker government system, he said, “The caretaker government should stay in place for the next 100 years.”
Calls for Electoral Reform
Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, adviser for the Jute, Textile, and Shipping ministries, addressed the gathering as the chief guest.
He stressed that the aim of political reform should be to restore the collapsing state system.
“The students shed their blood to reform the state, not to govern it. Our goal remains to restore the collapsed system,” he said. He urged political leaders to embrace reforms, however difficult the process may be.
Badiul Alam Majumdar, chairman of the election reform commission, echoed these sentiments, emphasising the importance of integrity and neutrality in the election process.
He said elections are a long-term process, involving everything from voter registration to the voting procedure, and called for political parties to work together to ensure transparency.
Widespread Support for PR System
The idea of proportionate representation found support from several political leaders.
Zonayed Saki, chief coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolan, called for the next three to five elections to be held under an interim government and backed the PR system.
He also proposed the inclusion of a “No Vote” option in future elections.
Ruhin Hossain Prince, general secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, also highlighted the need for an election-time government to ensure free and fair elections. He too was in favour of the PR system.
Shafiqul Islam Masud, a member of Jamaat-e-Islami’s executive council, also endorsed the PR system, saying it was essential for truly representative elections.
Other speakers included Jatiyo Party leader Shamim Haidar Patwari, AB Party member secretary Mojibur Rahman Monju, and BNP leader Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal. RFED president Ekramul Haq presided over the event.