Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram, a standing committee member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has said that the martyrs of the July Uprising did not lay down their lives for the introduction of a Proportional Representation (PR) voting system. Instead, they sacrificed themselves for the establishment of true democracy. He made the remarks on Saturday during a commemorative event honoring the families of those killed in the July Uprising, held at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) in Dhaka.

According to Major Hafiz, the ongoing debate about adopting a PR system or distributing parliamentary seats proportionally misses the core aspiration of the July movement. “The martyrs wanted democracy, not complicated systems of voting. Their goal was to see a democratic Bangladesh where people can freely choose their representatives,” he said. He warned that under a PR system, it is possible that a Member of Parliament from Bhola could be someone who resides in Kurigram, undermining the people's ability to elect local leaders they trust and know personally.

He strongly criticized those in power, accusing them of clinging to authority through manipulative tactics. “The solution is simple—a national election under a neutral caretaker government,” he emphasized. Only through a free and fair election, he said, can Bangladesh restore democracy. He added that people want to vote for those they know and believe will stand by them—not just for party symbols.

Major Hafiz also mentioned a comment from a father of a martyr, who said the dreams for which his child gave his life in the July Uprising have not yet been fulfilled. “That is a painful truth,” Hafiz said. He attributed this failure to the current government, which he claimed does not uphold the spirit of the July movement. He criticized former advisers for remaining silent in the face of what he described as years of misrule by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. “None of the advisers have spoken out against Sheikh Hasina in the last fifteen years, except occasionally Dr. Asif Nazrul,” he said.

He also questioned the legitimacy of the ongoing dialogue of the National Consensus Commission, arguing that BNP is being placed on one side while 34 other parties are grouped together on the other. He called for a clear comparison of public support between the BNP and these 34 parties. Addressing deeper political concerns, Major Hafiz expressed frustration over attempts to discard the constitution of 1972, achieved through the Liberation War. He pointed out that some political parties that had opposed the Liberation War are now attempting to rewrite history by admitting past mistakes. “I was injured in the war for independence. It deeply hurts to hear such things now,” he added.

The event was chaired by Engineer Md. Helal Uddin Talukder. Other speakers included BNP Standing Committee member Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain, BNP’s Sports Affairs Secretary and Convener of Dhaka North BNP Aminul Haque, Assistant Secretary for Science and Technology Affairs Engineer Ashraf Uddin Bakul, Executive Committee member Engineer Abdus Sobhan, former ABM Secretary General Alomgir Hasin Ahmed, IEB General Secretary Professor Dr. Sabbir Mostafa Khan, and IEB Dhaka Center member Engineer Lokman.