Tarique must fly home before polls schedule to secure voter status

BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman may face legal barriers to contesting the upcoming 13th Parliamentary Elections unless he returns to Bangladesh before the Election Commission (EC) announces the official election schedule, expected in the first week of December. 

The looming deadline has created a political and legal challenge not only for Tarique personally but also for the BNP’s broader electoral strategy.

Senior BNP figures, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Jago News that Tarique is preparing to return to Dhaka by the end of November, marking what would be his first return since leaving Bangladesh for London in 2008. 

According to party insiders, his return is being considered a symbolic turning point that BNP hopes will energise its political base ahead of a competitive national election.

However, without becoming a voter, Tarique Rahman cannot legally run for office, and as of now, his name is still absent from the national voter database.

Longstanding gap in voter status

During the military-governed caretaker administration in 2008, Bangladesh introduced a new national digital voter database with photographs, requiring every citizen to appear in person for biometric enrollment. 

At that time, Tarique Rahman and his wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, were residing in the United Kingdom. As a result, neither could be registered as voters.

Dr Zubaida later completed her registration earlier this year. Tarique, however, is yet to do so – nor did he file any application from London or any other international voter registration center, EC officials confirmed.

“If he wants to become a voter, he must return before the schedule is declared,” an official from the National Identity Registration Division (Registration and Expatriate Branch) said.

Once the election schedule is officially announced, the system enters a restricted phase where no new citizen can be registered without a court order, and unanimous approval of the entire Election Commission panel, including the Chief Election Commissioner. Even a single commissioner’s objection could block the process entirely.

“Practically, it is almost impossible to register after the schedule unless there are extraordinary circumstances,” the official added.

Expatriate registration: Requirements and shortfalls

EC data shows that expatriate voter enrollment is ongoing in 11 countries, including the UK, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Italy, Qatar, Malaysia, Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States.

So far:

69,662 expatriates have applied,

25,859 have completed the full process and become registered voters, and

In the United Kingdom alone, 5,749 expatriates are now registered voters.

Tarique Rahman’s name does not appear among them.

Officials at the London registration hub confirmed that Tarique never submitted biometric information, which is mandatory for applicant verification, including:

Ten fingerprints

Iris scan

Fresh digital signature

Without personal attendance, expatriate registration is legally impossible.

Election timeline adds urgency

Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarkar recently announced that the election schedule will be finalised and published in early December. Voting is expected to take place between late January and mid-February, with the Commission aiming to complete polling before the holy month of Ramadan.

“Preparations are at the final stage. Once the schedule is announced, the election machinery will move into full execution mode,” an EC official said.

BNP leadership is following the timeline closely, as Tarique’s nomination depends entirely on beating the procedural clock.

BNP confirms: ‘He will return’

Despite the legal complexity, BNP maintains confidence that Tarique will return in time.

Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed told reporters on November 11: “We expect him to return by the end of November. If not, then very early December – only a day or two difference.”

According to party insiders, the BNP sees Tarique’s return as a defining moment in its election campaign and a demonstration of political defiance.

Party sources say BNP has already finalised candidates in 237 constituencies, and Tarique is reportedly preparing to contest from Bogra-6, a traditional BNP stronghold and symbolic constituency tied to his father, late President Ziaur Rahman.

A political decision wrapped in legal deadlines

The question now is not whether Tarique Rahman wants to contest the election – but whether the procedural timeline will allow it.

If he succeeds in returning before the schedule and completing voter registration, his candidacy will redefine BNP’s election narrative.

If he fails, the BNP may find itself confronting internal uncertainty and renewed criticism over leadership strategy.

For Tarique Rahman – the political heir of BNP – the pathway to the ballot box begins with a return flight to Dhaka.

For Bangladesh’s political landscape, that flight may mark the beginning of a new phase of high-stakes electoral confrontation.