BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has warned that implementing the proposed Proportional Representation (PR) system in Bangladesh will eliminate the emergence of local leaders and instead pave the way for more autocrats. Speaking at an event in Rangpur on Thursday, Rizvi said that under the PR system, parties—not the people—would choose MPs, weakening democratic values. He also paid tribute to the martyrs of the July-August movements, claiming that their sacrifices helped shape a new Bangladesh. Rizvi labelled the current government under Sheikh Hasina as fascist and highlighted the issues of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. He urged democratic forces to unite in the national interest.