Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has not yet been registered as a voter, but he could still become eligible and even contest the upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad election if the Election Commission (EC) decides.
Senior Secretary of the EC Secretariat, Akhtar Ahmed, on Monday clarified the matter during a press briefing at the EC office in Agargaon, Dhaka.
Responding to questions from journalists, he said only individuals who registered as voters by 31 October 2025 are included in the finalized voter list.
“Those who have been or will be included are only those registered by October 31. Anyone registering after this date will not be able to vote in the upcoming election,” he noted.
When asked about Tarique Rahman’s voter status, Akhtar said, “To my knowledge, he is not a voter.”
He added, however, that the law allows the EC to grant voter registration and candidacy rights at its discretion.
“He may be able to participate if the Commission decides,” Akhtar said, referring to legal provisions under the Electoral Rolls Voter Registration Act.
Addressing concerns that such a decision might be applied solely to Tarique Rahman, the EC secretary stressed that the provision is general.
“It could apply to anyone. Why are you identifying one person individually? Not only Tarique Rahman, but anyone can become a voter after the election schedule is announced, provided they apply and the Commission approves it,” he said.
On the topic of voter list corrections, Akhtar explained that seven fields in the National Identity Card (NID) – including name, father’s name, mother’s name, occupation, date of birth, address, and photograph – cannot be changed at this stage.
New NID registration, however, remains ongoing. He added that the Commission may consider reopening corrections for these fields if a decision is made in the future.
The EC secretary confirmed that individuals who turned 18 by 31 October 2025 have been included in the voter rolls.
“We’ve finalised the voter lists. Several other corrections are still possible at present, but these seven key fields are locked until the Commission decides otherwise,” he said.
This clarification comes amid growing public attention on Tarique Rahman’s potential participation in the national elections, highlighting the EC’s discretionary powers and the legal framework governing voter registration in Bangladesh.
The upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad election will thus proceed with a finalised voter list, while the door remains open for exceptional cases at the Commission’s discretion.
Tarique Rahman is currently staying in London. Though there are speculations about his timeframe of return home before the election to participate, there is not exact date of his return.
He has also recently said that his return to Bangladesh is not solely dependent on him. Following such remark, the Interim Government said that the government has not imposed any restriction on him.
Rather the government said that they would provide all sorts of cooperation for his return if he wishes.
