Photo : Collected

DHAKA, Oct 15, 2025 (BSS)- BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi today warned that the country’s political and economic crises will deepen if the upcoming national election is not held on time or is delayed.

“The political and economic problems of the country are increasing day by day…if the national election is not held quickly and power is not handed over to an elected government, these problems will intensify further," he said.

Rizvi made the remarks in response to various media queries at the BNP’s central office in Nayapaltan of the city. 

The senior BNP leader said, “If there is an elected government, domestic and foreign investors would feel confident to invest in the country. Investment is linked to employment and generally revitalizing the economy. If power is not handed over to the elected representatives, the crisis will only deepen."

Regarding the Proportional Representation (PR) system, he reiterated, "Suddenly talking about PR in the national parliamentary election will create confusion. The PR system is in place in countries where social development has occurred due to long-standing democratic evolution, but even there, it remains controversial."
“Discussions and debates are ongoing in those countries regarding this. You know that Japan is a highly advanced democratic country, and even there, only 37% of the PR system is in place. Across the world, there are discussions and criticisms about the PR system, and it has not been fully implemented anywhere,” he added.

Regarding the referendum and the national election, Rizvi said, "The matter of the referendum in the July Charter—two or three parties want to have it done first. Now, when will you do it first? If the national election is held in the first or second week of February, because Ramadan will begin in the third week of February, then the election must certainly be held before Ramadan.”

In that case, he said there is no other option than to hold the election and the referendum simultaneously.

"We're now in the middle of October, and both the election and the referendum require preparation. The public needs to be involved; there are many tasks and activities involved. So, how will you hold the election by February after holding the referendum first? This will create a crisis. Instead, everyone agrees that holding the referendum and the national election on the same day is the preferable and most acceptable option," he added.