BNP against PR system, says Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday said their party will not accept the proportional representation (PR) system of election as the people of the country are not familiar with it.

“We have clearly said we will never accept the PR system because the people of this country are not used to it. They also do not know or understand it,” he said.

Fakhrul made the remarks while talking to reporters at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after returning home from Thailand.

He said Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were cancelled after being used for some time while people also have no idea about the PR system. “So, there is no question of accepting it.”

Fakhrul said the PR system prevents voters from electing their representatives through direct voting.

“The people of Bangladesh want elections as it is the only way to overcome the political and economic crises the country is facing,” he said.

The BNP leader said their party is in fabour of a free and fair election i as per the traditional system.

In the PR system, Fakhrul said, voters do not know for whom they are casting their votes. “That cannot be acceptable.”

Regarding Ducsu elections, the BNP Secretary General said they hope the polls will be held fairly and properly with the participation of everyone.

Earlier, on August 13, Fakhrul along with his wife Rahat Ara Begum went to Bangkok, Thailand, for follow-up eye treatment.

The BNP Secretary General earlier went to Bangkok on May 13 for emergency eye surgery.