'Dialogue should take precedence over pressure tactics'

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today criticised the ongoing street demonstrations demanding a proportional representation (PR) system, saying dialogue should take precedence over pressure tactics.

Speaking at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after returning from medical treatment in Singapore, Fakhrul said, "There was no need for this, because the discussion has not ended yet. Holding such programmes while the discussion is still going on only means creating unnecessary pressure. I think this is not good for democracy. It is also not good for making the right decision."

His remarks came in response to a Jamaat-e-Islami-led programme calling for elections under the July charter and a PR system.

Fakhrul questioned the effectiveness of such movements, asking, "Will the problem really be solved just by coming to the streets like this?"

Reiterating BNP's position, he said the party does not support the PR system or banning any political organisation, stressing that decisions about Bangladesh must be taken collectively at home.

On whether he would accompany Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus to the UN General Assembly, Fakhrul said, "I really don't know what our role will be."

"Discussion will get priority for the good of the country and for the advancement of democracy. The decisions about Bangladesh, we have taken them ourselves in the past, and we will still take them ourselves," he said.