A rift has widened between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its long-time ally Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, with both sides trading words over the proposed proportional representation and the legal status of the July charter before the next general election.
The two parties, once powerful coalition partners that jointly swept the 2001 general election against the Awami League, activities of which are now banned, have endured years of repression side by side.
But since the political upheavals of August 5, 2024, their partnership has shown visible signs of strain.
Party forums, public statements, and press conferences have increasingly highlighted the divergence in their political strategies.
In the shifting political landscape after the July uprising, Jamaat-e-Islami has emerged as one of BNP鈥檚 main rivals in policy terms.
While Jamaat and several Islamic parties are pressing for the adoption of the PR in the next election, the BNP leadership has strongly rejected the proposals, describing proportional representation as unsuitable for Bangladesh鈥檚 political and social context.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, speaking to reporters during a visit to New York, said on Wednesday that the BNP was not against the reforms but would not endorse proportional representation.
He argued that the concept was alien to Bangladesh鈥檚 political culture and lacked public understanding.
鈥極ur position is very clear. We will not go for PR. The country鈥檚 people will not accept it. They do not understand it,鈥� Fakhrul said.
Jamaat, on the other hand, has insisted that PR is vital for a fair and representative election.
Party leaders claim that the proportional representation would prevent money politics, muscle power, and malpractice at polling centres, thereby ensuring that every vote carried equal value.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Jamaat secretary general Mia Golam Parwar said that a road map for the next national election had already been outlined and that implementing PR was essential for a free, fair, and acceptable election.
He said that most political parties, along with academics, journalists, and civil society members, had endorsed the PR, but one particular party was blocking progress out of suspicious intentions.
鈥業f the government neglects these just demands and fails to resolve the issues swiftly, the people will be forced to adopt a harder stance,鈥� he said.
BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed on Tuesday described the PR as a permanent restlessness system that had left many countries with unstable parliaments and fragile governments.
Citing different surveys, he claimed that a majority of Bangladeshis opposed the idea and mocked suggestions that large numbers supported it.
Meanwhile, Jamaat鈥檚 nayeb-e-amir Mujibur Rahman on Monday told a party gathering that those who opposed the PR system were precisely those who benefitted from selling nominations.
He argued that PR would stop such practices, thereby reducing corruption and violence in politics.
BNP leaders, on the other hand, continue to argue that PR would destabilise the parliamentary system and prevent the emergence of stable governments based on majority rule.
On September 28, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi criticised Jamaat, saying that an Islamic party had lost balance in its pursuit of power.
He accused Jamaat of operating as an extension of a foreign organisation rather than an independent political party.
Referring to a recent statement by a Jamaat leader that hinted at the possibility of conflict with a neighbouring country, Rizvi on September 29 said that such remarks were alarming and dangerous for national sovereignty and appeared to be part of a larger game plan.
He said that unresolved issues with neighbouring countries, such as water sharing and trade disputes, should be resolved through diplomacy.
On September 18, Jamaat鈥檚 secretary general Mia Golam Parwar accused the BNP of blocking reforms essential for a free and fair election.聽
He argued that this showed a preference for maintaining authoritarian structures rather than establishing safeguards, and warned that elections under the existing framework could push the country into crisis and lead to the emergence of another fascist regime.
As the election approaches, the confrontation between the two former allies is intensifying.
Jamaat continued to demand the adoption of PR in the next polls, warning of tougher movement if reforms were blocked.
BNP remained equally firm in its rejection, arguing that PR would undermine the stability of the country.
The government in May banned the activities of the Awami League until trial of the party and its leaders and activists for the atrocities committed during the July-August mass uprising in 2024. The uprising ousted the Awami League from power on August 5, 2024.