Tarique Rahman’s Voter Registration Signals Full Political Comeback Ahead of 2026 Polls

Tarique Rahman, the 60-year-old acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, successfully completed his voter registration and National Identity Card (NID) formalities on December 27, 2025, at the Election Commission office in Dhaka's Agargaon area, precisely two days after his highly anticipated return to Bangladesh on December 25, 2025, following more than 17 years of self-imposed exile in London.

Accompanied by extensive security measures involving deployments from the Bangladesh Army, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police, and Ansar forces around the Election Commission premises, Rahman provided essential biometric data including fingerprints and iris scans, having previously submitted an online application for enrollment in the national voter list and NID issuance, with officials confirming that his NID card would be delivered within 24 hours.

During the same visit, his daughter Zaima Rahman also finalized her NID registration process, while reports indicate that his wife Zubaida Rahman had completed preliminary steps earlier, underscoring a family-wide effort to integrate into the electoral framework ahead of the crucial national polls.

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Rahman's absence from Bangladesh since September 11, 2008—when he departed following his release from prison during the 2007-2008 political crisis under a military-backed caretaker government—coincided with the introduction of the biometric voter list and NID system in 2008, preventing his initial enrollment and necessitating this procedure upon his return to enable participation in the upcoming 13th parliamentary elections scheduled for February 12, 2026.

The registration has ignited significant controversy, particularly from the banned Awami League, which has publicly challenged its legality citing prohibitions on new voter additions after the election schedule announcement and the fact that December 27 fell on a government holiday, prompting accusations of procedural irregularities, whereas Election Commission authorities, including Director General ASM Humayun Kabir and former officials, have affirmed that eligible citizens may be added to the voter list at any time under prevailing laws, with plans to formally approve Rahman's inclusion for the February polls.

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