BNP and Jamaat are heading towards a confrontation

The BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami appear to be deeply divided over the timing of local and parliamentary elections, as well as the implementation of a proportional representation system in the Parliament. The growing rift between the two parties became evident last week when they publicly disagreed on these key issues.

Yesterday, both parties made statements that signaled a shift in political dynamics ahead of the 13th national elections.

After a Jamaat delegation met with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin at the Nirbachon Bhaban yesterday morning, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar told reporters that his party is calling for the national election to take place only after completing necessary reforms to electoral state institutions. He added that Jamaat believes local government elections should be held before the national election, and that the party supports the introduction of proportional representation in the House.

In contrast, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir firmly opposed the idea of proportional representation, stating that the people are not familiar with this system and BNP will not support it. Proportional representation ensures that the number of seats a party holds corresponds to the proportion of total votes it receives.

Bangladesh currently uses a first-past-the-post system, where the candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins a parliamentary seat.

The Electoral Reform Commission has suggested creating both an upper and lower house, with the upper house operating under a proportional representation system. However, the idea has sparked significant disagreement among political parties.

Fakhrul also expressed concerns that holding local elections before the national elections would exacerbate instability. He emphasized that a timely national election would restore political stability and improve governance, which is currently facing challenges, particularly in education.

Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus, who is currently in Dubai, suggested the national election could take place in December this year. Last year, he had indicated that the election might occur in late 2025 or mid-2026, further highlighting the growing split between BNP and Jamaat.

While BNP and its allies have advocated for a national election with minimal reforms, Jamaat insists that reforms are necessary before any elections take place. This difference of opinion became more apparent after Yunus stated in January that both national and local elections were being prepared simultaneously.

Following a meeting between a BNP delegation and Yunus on Monday, Fakhrul confirmed that the government had assured BNP that the national election would be held by December. He reiterated that there would be no election before the national election.

Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman, in a Sylhet rally, stated that fundamental reforms must be implemented before elections can be held. He warned that an election held under current conditions would be an "election genocide" and called for elections only after a favorable environment is created.

Yesterday, the Jamaat delegation met with the Election Commission despite no longer being a registered political party, which bars them from contesting elections. Parwar explained that their appeal to restore their registration is pending in court.

The BNP and Jamaat's long-standing alliance, formed in 1999, initially gained success in the 2001 election but has faced challenges since. The alliance began to unravel after the 2008 election and formally dissolved in December 2022, with BNP distancing itself from Jamaat due to its controversial stance during the Liberation War.