BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has warned that if Bangladesh’s democratic journey faces a crisis, there could be an “infiltration of dark horses.”He made the remark while responding to journalists’ questions at the BNP’s central office in Naya Paltan on Wednesday (October 15).Rizvi said, “In most of the world’s advanced democracies — such as Britain, the United States, and others — representatives are elected directly by the people. So, what happened in our country that makes some claim that the Proportional Representation (PR) system is the ideal model of democracy? I think Jamaat-e-Islami’s statement in favor of PR is misguided and confusing. Perhaps they have another hidden agenda related to whether the upcoming election will happen at all.”
He cautioned, “Those who have participated in the democratic struggle must now ensure that our future democratic journey does not face disruption. Otherwise, dark horses could enter — dark horses might infiltrate the system.”
Commenting on the PR system, Rizvi added, “Even in developed countries with a long history of democracy, there are debates about whether the PR system truly reflects public opinion. You know that Japan — one of the world’s most advanced democracies — applies PR in only about 37% of its elections. Globally, PR remains controversial and has not been fully implemented anywhere. So why should we suddenly adopt it here?”
He continued, “Raising the issue of PR right before the national election only creates confusion among the public. From the surveys I have seen, including those by the media, most people have little understanding of proportional representation — many are simply confused.”
Regarding the proposed referendum and the upcoming national election, Rizvi said, “According to the July Charter, some political parties want the referendum to be held first. But when will that be? If the national election takes place in the first or second week of February — since Ramadan is expected to begin in the third week — then the election must be held before Ramadan. In that case, it is only logical to hold the referendum and the general election on the same day.”
He further explained, “It’s already mid-October. Preparing for both the election and referendum requires time, public engagement, and extensive logistics. Holding the referendum earlier and the election by February is practically impossible. That would only create unnecessary complications. Most people believe it would be best and most acceptable to hold both on the same day.”
Rizvi stressed the need for an early national election, saying, “Everyone agrees that the country’s political and economic problems are worsening day by day. You can see that investment has almost reached zero — because there is no elected government in power.”
He concluded, “When there is an elected government, both domestic and foreign investors have confidence and invest accordingly. Investment means job creation and overall economic growth. Unless power is transferred to elected representatives of the people, the crisis will only deepen.”