He made the remarks on Saturday afternoon (October 11) while speaking at a seminar on the election process held at the Cosmos Center in Dhaka.
Amir Khasru said that while the National Consensus Commission may not be able to reach an agreement with all political parties on the PR system, the matter should ultimately be left to public opinion. “We need to hold elections under the current constitution, restore democracy, and speak directly to the people,” he said. “Whatever has been agreed upon can be discussed in parliament. The people will decide what should happen and what should not.”
The BNP leader argued that parties supporting the PR system should seek a public mandate rather than attempting to impose decisions through closed-door discussions. “The people of Bangladesh have not given anyone the authority to decide the country's future through talks among a few political parties. The July Charter will also require a public mandate to be implemented,” he said.
Emphasizing the need for an effective parliament, Amir Khasru said, “Right now, it is more important to revitalize the parliamentary system and move forward with the issues agreed upon in the charter.”
Rejecting the idea of single-party dominance, he added, “There is no place for one-party rule in a democracy. We must change our political culture, respect dissent and opposition, and move beyond confrontational politics.”
The seminar brought together political leaders, election experts, and civil society representatives to discuss the future of electoral reforms and democratic governance in Bangladesh.
