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avoid electoral irregularities and ensure that “every vote counts.”

“The first and foremost benefit of PR is that every voter can recognise that they are represented in parliament,” he said.

Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna dismissed the debate, saying, “There is nothing to discuss about PR. The people of the country do not understand it, and they have no interest in it.”

Biplobi Workers Party General Secretary Saiful Haque alleged that a “motivated campaign” was being carried out to claim that 78 percent of people support PR.

Former Election Commission Secretary SM Jakoria warned that a party winning the most votes under PR might still be unable to form the government, creating a “mismatch between expectations and outcomes.”

AB Party Chairman Mojibur Rahman Monju said, “If voting takes place at night, there will be no difference between an election under the PR system and the traditional first-past-the-post system.”

Presenting the keynote paper, Prof Mamun Al Mostofa of Dhaka University’s Political Science Department said forming an Upper House based on PR alone would not ensure accountability or strengthen democracy.

Gono Odhikar Parishad General Secretary Rashed Khan said discussions would continue to reach a consensus on the electoral system, while Ganosanghati Andolon’s Executive Coordinator Abul Hasan Rubel said PR could only be considered if people lose faith in the current one.