Political leaders and experts at a seminar on Saturday stressed the need for making the conventional electoral system effective instead of introduction of the proportional representation (PR) method as the people have yet to show no-confidence to the existing polls system.

Some speakers, however, argued for the introduction of a PR system in the ‘Upper House’ for the sake of maintaining checks and balances.

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.

BNP senior leader Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury questioned who gave political parties the authority to decide on holding a referendum over introducing the PR system in Bangladesh.

“Why should we go for a referendum on PR? First of all, who has given us that responsibility? The people didn’t give us this responsibility,” he said.

Khosru, a BNP Standing Committee member, also said the country’s people, not political parties, will use the PR system through elections.

The BNP leader said every party has many issues where there is no consensus. “So, if you go for a referendum on each of them, you’ll end up doing referendums for the next two years.”

He said the current interim government in Bangladesh has been formed based on the constitution and it is also being run under the same constitutional framework.

“So, if we want to restore democratic order and bring about any changes later, we must first hold an election under the current constitution and return to a democratic system,” the BNP leader observed.

Once a democratic system is restored in the country, Khosru said, discussions can take place inside and outside parliament on reform issues like the PR system. “You can’t have a meaningful public debate when you don’t have a democratic government in place,” he argued.

The BNP leader also said those who want PR should first earn people’s mandate.” No one has given 30 political parties the authority to decide the country’s future. It’s the people who will decide through elections.”

He also said it is unrealistic to expect all political parties to agree on every issue. “We’re not forming a one-party Baksal system. Differences in ideas and policies will always exist, and that’s the beauty of democracy. Each party should go to the people with its own vision.”

Khosru said a strong and effective parliament can solve many of the country’s problems. “If we make parliamentary committees functional and strengthen hearings, people’s representatives will be able to make decisions in the public interest.”

Strongly opposing the PR system, another BNP senior leader Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan 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.

Under the PR system, Dr Moyeen Khan, 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 warned that making parties stronger while weakening individuals would create a “self-contradictory system,” noting that in Bangladesh, people have always wanted to prevent political parties from becoming too powerful.

“Whenever political parties became too strong in the last 54 years, it ultimately brought suffering for the people,” the BNP leader said.

Moyeen Khan also observed that Bangladeshis are not yet mentally or intellectually prepared for such a complicated electoral process. “People here want a simple system where they can clearly understand who represents them and who they are voting for.”

He called upon all parties to focus on building a democratic, inclusive and accountable political system that reflects the will of the people, not the dominance of any single party.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad on Saturday stressed the need for introducing proportional representation, an electoral system where the distribution of seats in parliament would align with the proportion of total votes received by each party, in a bid to avoid electoral irregularities and ensuring that every vote counts.

"The first and foremost benefit of implementing PR would be that every vote counts, and the voter can thus recognise that he or she is represented in parliament," Hamidur Rahman said.

The Jamaat leader drew his comparison with the issue of so-called ‘wasted votes’ under the prevailing First-Past-The-Post system, where the votes falling in favour of losing candidates are effectively discarded.

Reiterating Jamaat’s current stance calling for introducing PR in the upcoming election for the next parliament, be it unicameral or bicameral, Hamidur said people in the PR system vote for the party by its symbol, whereas in the conventional system practiced in most parts of the world, voters choose between parties’ candidates.

This leads to candidates building personal dominance, creating musclemen, spending huge money, resorting to violence, and occupying polling stations, which lead to unfair elections and voters being denied their right to vote in a peaceful atmosphere, he said.

“To come out of these irregularities, PR is a suitable system. Under this system, the competition remains within the party as nominations and funding are controlled by the party itself,” he said, adding that the parties will finalise their list of candidates on the basis of their council elections.

“So there is an opportunity to avoid many irregularities. Making every vote count is number one, and number two is fair elections,” he said.

Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna said there is nothing to discuss about the PR as the issue is not proposed for the lower house in the July National Charter as well.

"The people of the country do not understand PR. They have no interest in it," he said.

He, however, said the PR issue can be discussed for the upper house to maintain checks and balances. "There is a need for a check and balance between the government and other parties. If there is an upper house, this can be ensured. The PR system can be discussed for the upper house," said Manna.

He expressed optimism that BNP must remain committed to democracy in the current situation. “If BNP deviates from the path of democracy, a dire disaster will come down on the country,” he feared.

The veteran politician asked all political parties to start a meticulous and collective journey to build future Bangladesh.

Biplobi Workers Party General Secretary Saiful Haque said a motivated campaign is being carried out, claiming that 78 percent of people support the PR system.

He said the next election should be held under the existing First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) system as the people of Bangladesh are not yet mentally ready for such a major change.

Haque expressed doubt about the intention of some political parties that are holding street movements in favour of PR. “There is enough reason to question their motives. I am not sure whether they are doing it for political gain or with other hidden intentions,” he said.

“This movement and discussion to bring PR to the lower house is a discussion imposed by a few parties," said Saiful Haque.

He added that his party supports the introduction of PR in the upper house, but there is no valid reason to apply the same system in the lower house.

Haque also said the referendum on the July Charter should be held on the same day as the national election to save public resources and avoid unnecessary hassles.

He warned that holding the referendum before the national election could bring many risks and complications if voter turnout is low. “It may backfire. Such a proposal could deepen future divisions. We hope the government will make a wise and balanced decision on this matter,” he said.

Haque further said many election-related problems could be solved simply by ensuring that polls are held regularly every five years. “If we try to achieve everything at once, we may endanger our democratic journey,” he cautioned.

Former Election Commission Secretary Dr Mohammed Jakaria said a party winning the most votes under the PR system might still be unable to form the government. “This could lead to a significant mismatch between the people’s expectations and election outcomes,” he said.

Jakaria said the PR system could empower small extremist parties and create barriers often for the party enjoying broad public support to pass legislation or form a government due to the influence of smaller groups, resulting in political instability. “Who can guarantee that Bangladesh will not face similar problems?” he asked.

AB Party Chairman Mojibur Rahman Monju said if voting takes place at night there will be no difference between an election under the PR system and the traditional First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) system.

He said ensuring a free and fair election is far more important than choosing between the two systems.

Monju pointed out that while PR works well in some countries, the FPTP system is also successful in many others.

He said his party supports the PR idea but prefers a mixed approach, combining both PR and FPTP on an experimental basis.

Monju suggested the PR system could be introduced in the upper house, while the FPTP system should continue for election to the lower house.

In his keynote paper, Prof Mamun Al Mostofa of Dhaka University’s Political Science department, said forming an ‘Upper House’ (Senate) based on PR is not enough to ensure government’s accountability, nor does it guarantee instituitinalisation of democracy.

Mamun feared that the PR would help expand the class of politically privileged people, making the smooth functioning of parliament difficult.

In Bangladesh, where democratic values are often trampled, Mamun said introducing PR means bringing no real change and it would only complicate matters.

General Secretary of Gono Odhikar Parishad Md Rashed Khan urged all political parties to take a positive approach towards the national election expected to be held in February.

He said discussions will continue to determine the election process and reach a consensus on any disagreements.

Rashed also stressed that political parties must remain united, warning that any division among democratic parties could pave the way for the return of a fascist Awami League.

Executive Coordinator of Ganosanghati Andolon Abul Hasan Rubel said the PR could only be considered if people lose confidence in the existing system.

“It is not like that people have lost faith in the conventional electoral system. Rather they were denied to vote for 17 years. People want their voting rights back. They have no complaints about the existing system,” he said.

Considering Bangladesh’s geopolitical position, Rubel said adopting PR could be risky as it might lead to political instability, creating opportunities for foreign interference.

He stressed that the main priority should be to make the parliamentary system more effective and functional.

“Once that is achieved, we can then think about introducing PR, if needed. We want to ensure proper checks and balances on the government, but weakening it through a system like PR would not be the right way,” Rubel added.