Bangladesh: BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman to contest elections from Dhaka-17, Bogura-6

Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) acting Chairman Tarique Rahman will contest from the Dhaka-17 and Bogura-6 constituencies in the general elections scheduled to be held next year, local media reported on Sunday.

BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed made the announcement while speaking to reporters on Sunday. He also mentioned that Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) Chairman, Andaleeve Rahman Partho, will fight polls from Bhola-1 instead of Dhaka-17, The Daily Star reported.

Rahman visited BNP’s Gulshan Chairperson’s Office on Sunday, marking his first visit to the office since its development in 2008. BNP media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan said that Rahman reached the office at 1.43 p.m. (local time) on Sunday and held discussions with members of BNP’s standing committee there.

Following the meeting, BNP leader Khandaker Mosharraf said: “Our acting Chairman held office for the first time today. We discussed election-related issues. We have decided to cooperate with the Election Commission. There was no formal meeting today. We talked about organisational matters and the election.”

Meanwhile, the Election Commission on Sunday approved the inclusion of Rahman in Bangladesh’s voter list before the national election and referendum set to be held on February 12, United News of Bangladesh reported. EC Director, Public Relations, Ruhul Amin Mallik said: “The inclusion of Tarique Rahman in the voter list has been approved by the Election Commission.”

On Saturday, Rahman and his daughter Zaima Rahman completed the process for National Identity Card (NID) registration and voter enlistment. They were included as voters in the Dhaka-17 constituency under DNCC Ward No. 19 in the Gulshan area.

On December 25, Rahman, along with Zubaida Rahman and Zaima Rahman, returned to Bangladesh after living abroad for nearly 17 years. Rahman’s return to Bangladesh comes at a time when the EC announced that the country’s 13th national parliamentary election, along with a referendum on the July Charter, will be held on February 12 next year.

Analysts reckon that Rahman’s return and participation in the upcoming elections will test the waters amid the ongoing turbulence in Bangladesh’s politics under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, which is under mounting pressure to deliver a free, fair and credible election.

Critics warn that Rahman’s return to the volatile political landscape in Bangladesh could deepen tension across the country.

IANS