BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury on Saturday questioned the interim government's authority to hold a referendum on the proportional representation (PR) system, saying the people never gave it that mandate.
Speaking at a discussion titled "Election 2026 A Critical Look at Proportional Representation" - jointly organised by Cosmos Group and United News of Bangladesh (UNB) at the Cosmos Center in Mouchak, Dhaka - Khasru said,
"According to the constitution, an elected government must be formed through elections. The people did not give this interim government the responsibility to hold a referendum on PR."
He questioned, "Who gave political parties this responsibility Why should I go to a referendum on PR There are many issues where parties disagree. If we start a referendum process, it will take two years - who gave us that mandate"
Khasru stressed that the first duty of the interim authority is to restore democracy through elections under the existing constitution.
"After democracy returns, there can be public discussions, parliamentary debates, and nationwide talks. Then you can move toward a new democratic structure. But right now, there is no democratic order," he said.
He noted that the country had been under a non-elected government for 14 months, and the immediate need was to elect a new parliament before considering structural reforms.
"Democracy itself is a process of correction. First, hold elections; then let elected representatives debate the PR issue," he added.
Dhaka University Political Science Professor Mamun Al Mostafa delivered the keynote paper at the event.
Khasru argued that the PR system benefits political parties, not people.
"Let's be honest - PR increases party seats, not public benefit. It gives parties more power while ignoring real public demands. That's not the language of democracy," he said, urging parties to "work openly together for people's welfare."
BNP Standing Committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan also spoke, warning that PR could weaken individual accountability and strengthen party control.
"PR means voters will choose parties, not individuals. Then parties, not people, will decide who becomes candidates," he said.
"That destroys the idea that representatives should be directly answerable to the people."
He cautioned that Bangladesh's 54-year political history shows that whenever parties became too powerful, it led to political disasters.
Referring to recent comments by Nagorik Oikya leader Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Moyeen said, "If people don't know much about PR, let those who support it include it in their election manifestos and seek people's mandate."
He added that even the National Consensus Commission cannot unilaterally determine the country's political system.
"We will respect the consensus, but each party must go to the people for approval. The people didn't give 20 or 30 parties the authority to decide what kind of democracy Bangladesh will have."
Moyeen concluded, "Democracy is discussion, dialogue, and interaction. The Consensus Commission can't decide everything. We'll agree where possible - and where not, we'll go back to the people for their verdict."
