In a significant political development, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman formally enrolled himself in the national voter list on Saturday. This move came just two days after he returned home, ending a 17-year self-exile in London.
Biometric Enrollment Under Tight Security
The 60-year-old opposition leader, accompanied by his daughter Zaima Rahman, visited the Election Commission (EC) headquarters in Dhaka to complete his biometric registration. The process involved providing his fingerprints and an iris scan. The area around the EC building witnessed a massive security deployment, including personnel from the Bangladesh Army, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and police to manage the situation.
ASM Humayun Kabir, the director general of the National Identity Registration Wing, confirmed to reporters that Rahman had already filled the online application beforehand. "Tarique Rahman has already filled out the online form and has come to complete the registration by providing his fingerprints and iris scan," Kabir stated. Officials indicated that both Rahman and his daughter are expected to receive their National Identity (NID) cards within 24 hours.
A Major Step Towards Electoral Participation
This registration marks Rahman's first formal entry into Bangladesh's digitized voter system, which was introduced in 2008, shortly after he left for the United Kingdom. His return and immediate administrative actions signal a direct intent to participate in the upcoming national elections, scheduled for February 12.
Rahman, the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, is slated to contest from the Bogura-6 (Bogura Sadar) constituency, his ancestral seat. Nomination papers have already been collected on his behalf. His departure to London in September 2008 followed a period of imprisonment during the 2007–2008 political crisis.
Political Controversy and Legal Challenges
The move has not been without controversy. The ruling Awami League party, which is currently barred from the polls by the interim government, has strongly challenged the legality of Rahman's voter registration. Party representatives have raised questions about how a new voter could be added after the final electoral rolls were supposedly completed.
In a statement on its website, the Awami League accused Rahman of "receiving one privilege after another, with repeated violations of the law." The party pointed out that the registration occurred on a Saturday, a government holiday, and after the election schedule was announced—a period when new voter enrollment is typically prohibited. "So how was the law followed, and under whose instructions?" the party questioned.
Earlier on Saturday, Tarique Rahman visited Dhaka University under heavy security. He offered prayers at the grave of slain student leader Sharif Osman Hadi, who was a prominent figure in the July 2024 uprising that led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government. Hadi, aged 32, was also a parliamentary candidate for the upcoming elections and was buried beside the grave of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam on December 20. Rahman also paid his respects at Nazrul Islam's grave.
The return of the BNP's acting chairman and his swift registration have undoubtedly set the stage for a high-stakes electoral battle in Bangladesh, reshaping the political landscape in the final weeks before the vote.
