In Bangladesh, elections are held under the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) system. This means the candidate who gets the most votes in a constituency becomes a Member of Parliament (MP), even if most voters supported someone else.
For example, if one candidate gets 40% of the votes, another 35%, and another 25%, the 40% candidate wins. The other 60% of voters go unrepresented.
Many political groups, including Jamaat-e-Islami and smaller parties, are now talking about a different system called proportional representation (PR).
Amid the widespread discussion of PR, I decided to study its advantages and disadvantages before the elections and outline its implications.
What is PR?
Under PR, seats in parliament are given according to the percentage of votes each party gets nationally. If a party gets 50% of the votes, they get around 150 of the 300 seats. If another party gets 10% of the votes, they get 30 seats. This way, every vote counts and no party’s supporters feel left out.
Why do some support PR?
Fairer share of seats -- smaller parties that cannot win in constituencies will still get seats if they have supporters nationwide.
Stronger opposition -- the ruling party would not dominate parliament as completely as it does now. Every vote matters -- people may feel more encouraged to vote because their vote will count. Less regional imbalance -- parties will get seats based on national votes, not just stronghold areas.
Why do some oppose PR?
Risk of unstable governments -- coalitions may form and collapse if no party gets a majority. Too many small parties -- even very small or extreme groups could enter parliament.
Party bosses gain control -- if PR is based on party lists, candidates may be chosen by leaders, not voters.
Complicated change -- Bangladesh’s system and constitution are built for FPTP, so reform would be difficult.
What does this mean for Bangladesh?
Under FPTP, large parties like the Awami League and BNP dominate parliament. Smaller parties often disappear, even if they have millions of voters.
Under PR, the voices of smaller parties, minority groups, and independent voters would be heard more. It may also make parliament more divided and governments weaker.
So, should we support PR?
The answer depends on what Bangladesh values most and what suits her best. We can’t compare ourselves with the other side of the ocean. PR is the better choice if we want fairness and representation for all. If the party leader chooses the representation incorrectly due to bias, is that within our budget?
If we want stability and strong single-party governments, then the current FPTP system may be safer.
Maybe the best solution is a mixed system -- where most MPs are elected directly (like today) but a few seats are reserved for PR, so that both fairness and stability can exist together.
Mahzabeen Faruque works for a private conglomerate.
