BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and his daughter Zaima Rahman on Saturday completed the necessary process for National Identity Card (NID) registration and voter enlistment.
Tarique Rahman arrived at the Election Commission’s National Identity Wing in the city’s Agargaon area at around 1:00 pm to complete his NID registration and enlist himself as a voter.
As part of the process, he provided biometric data and had his photograph taken.
On completion of all the required formalities, Tarique left the office at around 1:17 pm for his younger brother Arafat Rahman Koko’s Banani Graveyard to offer Fateha, and then Mahbub Bhaban in Dhanmondi, the residence of his father-in-law.
Earlier, Zaima Rahman completed the required process for NID registration and voter enlistment.
Accompanied by her mother Dr Zubaida Rahman, she arrived at the National Identity Wing office at around 12:26 pm.
Having completed the formalities, they left the office at around 12:45 pm, shortly before Tarique Rahman’s arrival.
According to BNP sources, Tarique Rahman and Zaima Rahman had already completed the online voter registration form. They are expected to be registered as voters in the Dhaka-17 constituency under DNCC Ward No. 19 in the Gulshan area, using the address of House No. 196, Gulshan-2.
Director General of the Election Commission’s NID Wing ASM Humayun Kabir, said Tarique Rahman and Zaima Rahman had completed the national identity and voter registration process.
He said both provided biometric data and submitted all necessary documents, adding that Zubaida Rahman was already enrolled in the country’s voter list.
Tarique Rahman, along with Zubaida Rahman and Zaima Rahman, returned to Bangladesh on Thursday morning after nearly 17 years abroad. Like her father, the visit marked Zaima Rahman’s first return to Bangladesh since the family left for the United Kingdom in September 2008. Earlier this year, Zubaida Rahman visited Bangladesh twice.
Earlier in the day, Tarique Rahman offered fateha at the grave of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inquilab Moncho, who died a week after being shot on December 12.
Accompanied by senior BNP leaders, Tarique first placed a wreath at Hadi’s grave at around 11:30 am, paying tribute to the July uprising activist. He later offered fateha and joined a munajat seeking the salvation of Hadi’s departed soul. The munajat was led by Abu Bakar Siddique, the elder brother of Sharif Osman Hadi.
Tarique Rahman and his party colleagues also placed a wreath at the grave of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, near the Dhaka University Central Mosque, and joined a munajat there.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed, Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Niaz Ahmed Khan, among others, were present.
Members of the police, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed across the Shahbagh and Dhaka University areas to maintain security.
Tarique left his Gulshan Avenue residence at around 10:40 am in a white bulletproof SUV and reached the Dhaka University campus at around 11:15 am under tight security.
From Mahbub Bhaban in Dhanmondi, he is scheduled to go to Evercare Hospital to visit his ailing mother.
Tarique was earlier scheduled to visit the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), popularly known as Pangu Hospital, to meet those injured during the July 2024 mass uprising. However, the programme was cancelled.
In a Facebook post on Saturday morning, BNP’s Media Cell said Tarique Rahman would not visit Pangu Hospital as there are no injured victims of the July Mass Uprising.
BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman is expected to receive his National Identity Card (NID) within 24 hours of completing his voter registration, ASM Humayun Kabir, Director General of the National Identity Registration Wing at the Election Commission, said on Saturday.
“Tarique Rahman has already filled out the online form and has come to complete the registration by providing his fingerprints and iris scan,” he said while speaking to reporters at the Election Commission’s National Identity Wing in Agargaon, Dhaka.
“The software will automatically verify his information against existing records. If no match is found, the NID number will be generated within 5 to 24 hours,” he said.
Besides, he said, an SMS will be sent to Tarique Rahman’s mobile phone, from which he can also download the NID.
The BNP leader arrived at the Election Commission’s National Identity Wing at 1:00 pm.
Earlier in the day, Tarique offered fateha at the grave of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inquilab Moncho, who passed away a week after being shot on December 12.
Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh on Thursday morning after nearly 17 years abroad. His homecoming has drawn widespread attention and strong emotions among BNP leaders, activists and supporters across the country.
He was accorded a huge and jubilant reception, with party leaders hailing his return as historic.
The Election Commission will decide on the inclusion of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and his daughter Zaima Rahman in the national voter list, which will be used for the upcoming general election and the referendum scheduled for February 12, 2026.
“Their names will be placed before the commission tomorrow (Sunday). If the Commission approves, then they will be included in the voter list to be used in the February-12 election,” said EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed.
He was briefing reporters at Nirbachan Bhaban after Tarique Rahman and Zaima Rahman completed the national identity and voter registration process at the EC’s NID office in the Electoral Training Institute.
The EC Secretary said they were allowed to complete the registration process as the EC has authority to enroll eligible in the voter list as per the Electoral Rolls Act 2009.
“They’ve completed the registration process…But it takes time to process the application. I believe, it will be completed by today and then they will get their NID Numbers,” he said.
Then the issue will be placed on Sunday for the approval from the commission to include them in the country's voter list to be used in the upcoming parliamentary election and the referendum on the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order.
