Jamaat sought 30 seats, pressured BNP over PR system, Fakhrul tells Ei Samay

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has stated that Jamaat-e-Islami requested the allocation of 30 parliamentary seats from the BNP ahead of the upcoming national elections. He added that, after the BNP declined the proposal, Jamaat began pressuring the party by demanding elections be held under a proportional representation (PR) system. Mirza Fakhrul made these remarks in an interview with the Bengali-language daily Ei Samay, published in West Bengal, India. The interview appeared on Monday. When asked whether Jamaat had demanded 50 seats, the BNP Secretary General replied: “They asked for 30. We did not show enthusiasm. We discussed a much lower number, which did not satisfy them.” The interview was conducted by journalist Anamitra Chatterjee. Addressing him, Mirza...