BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed spoke to journalists after a memorial publication and archive unveiling ceremony at the International Mother Language Institute today. Photo : BSS. 

DHAKA, June 28, 2025 (BSS) - Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed today said the Proportional Representation (PR) voting system is not a part of Bangladesh's political culture.

"The PR system doesn't practices in our political culture as it doesn't exist in our history. This system never matches with our voting system as it's a new method in Bangladesh's political culture. This system is not applicable to our country. Wherever it has been partially applied within the country, there have been many complications," he said. 

"Discussions on the PR system within the consensus commission are going on and we are yet to reach any consensus on national parliamentary elections under this system," he said.

Salahuddin told journalists' after a memorial publication and archive unveiling ceremony on "Ziaur Rahman - From the Battlefield to Head of State" at the International Mother Language Institute here. 

Describing the demand for elections under the PR system politically motivated, Salahuddin said, "Those advocating for PR elections have an agenda as they want local elections before national polls. Their objective is either to delay the national election or to prevent elections in the country."

"Now, some may raise the PR system as a political demand, which is their political right. But, there's no point in imposing it on everyone," he added.

Salahuddin said, "We, the people of Bangladesh, are united. Pro-democracy people have struggled not for local government elections. We have fought for a long time for a fair, neutral and free national election. We have lost countless lives to exercise our voting right. The blood of the martyrs of the July mass uprising desires the establishment of a strong democratic system in the country."

If a political government, he said, is established through votes then they will be able to build a strong democratic state.