Zaima hits the streets, campaigning door to door for Tarique

In the polished avenues of Gulshan, where diplomatic convoys usually dominate the roads, a different kind of procession drew attention on Saturday afternoon. 

Zaima Rahman, daughter of BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, stepped into the centre of Dhaka-17’s campaign trail, walking from shopfront to shopfront and greeting voters face to face as she sought support for her father ahead of the national election.

Starting from the Gulshan Police Plaza area, Zaima moved through busy streets lined with cafés, banks and boutiques, stopping frequently to exchange words with rickshaw-pullers, office staff, vendors and shoppers. 

Campaign leaflets bearing the BNP’s electoral symbol, the ‘Sheaf of Paddy’, passed from her hands to curious onlookers as small crowds gathered around.

“My father, Tarique Rahman, is the ‘Sheaf of Paddy’ candidate in Dhaka-17,” she told voters during brief roadside conversations. “I am asking for your votes in his favour.” 

Her direct appeal, delivered without a formal stage or microphone, gave the campaign a personal tone more often seen in neighbourhood canvassing than in the capital’s high-profile constituencies.

The campaign trail also led her into office buildings and bank premises in Gulshan, where she met employees during working hours and handed out leaflets. 

Former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s caregiver, Fatema Khatun, accompanied her, adding a familiar face from the BNP’s inner circle to the walkabout.

As the procession moved towards Gulshan-1 circle, the atmosphere took on a mix of curiosity and spectacle. 

Passers-by paused to take photographs, many requesting selfies, which Zaima accepted with an easy smile. 

Supporters described the door-to-door approach as an attempt to bring a more personal style to a constituency known for its affluent voters and diplomatic presence.

With electioneering intensifying across Dhaka, Zaima’s street-level campaign signals how political families are stepping into the field to amplify candidates’ visibility, blending traditional canvassing with the optics of a new generation entering the public spotlight.