Fakhrul: Party that once championed PR now retreats from its position as it heads into the election

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said that a party which had vigorously pushed for proportional representation (PR) is now retreating from that position and preparing to contest the upcoming election.

He said misleading the public goes against Islamic teachings, adding that using religion for political gain—such as “selling tickets to heaven”—has no basis in the faith.

Speaking at an event organised by mosque-based community education caretakers of the Islamic Foundation at the Institution of Diploma Engineers in Dhaka’s Kakrail, Fakhrul said that the rights of people of all religions are safeguarded only when democracy prevails.

He accused Sheikh Hasina of stripping citizens of their rights, including their freedom to practise religion, and noted that some clerics had even conferred on her the title “Mother of Qawmi.”

Fakhrul claimed that the previous government politicised all state institutions and alleged that those who profess to oppose Hasina avoided joining visible anti-government movements, instead remaining under the protection of the Chhatra League on university campuses.

He said Bangladesh is now undergoing change, pointing out that the chief adviser has announced elections for February.

“Experts from abroad have arrived to advise on reforms. After eight or nine months of discussions, they are now talking about PR—an idea even we find difficult to grasp, and one that will be even more challenging for ordinary people,” he said.

He also criticised the proposal for a referendum, saying: “They are talking about holding a referendum with four questions on a single ballot. People don’t understand it yet, and they won’t understand it even on the last day.”