Zubaida Rahman to be registered as voter, EC collects info

The Bangladesh Election Commission (EC) has collected information of Zubaida Rahman, wife of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman for her voter registration.

According to EC sources, the information of Zubaida Rahman was gathered under the door-to-door information collection campaign aimed at updating the voter list.

The sources report that the work of compiling a voter list including photos first started in the country in 2008, during the rule of the caretaker government following the political change of 1/11.

Tarique Rahman and Zubaida Rahman were living in London at that time. The couple had left Bangladesh for London on 11 September 2008. They have not return to the country since, nor did they register as voters.

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia returned to Bangladesh on 6 May, following treatment in London. Zubaida Rahman accompanied her back to the country.

Before the Eid-ul-Azha, EC officials collected Zubaida’s personal information and completed her voter registration in Dhaka. she returned to London again on 5 June.

When asked, senior secretary of the EC Secretariat, Akhtar Ahmed told Prothom Alo that Zubaida Rahman’s information has been collected under the voter list update campaign.

Sources from the EC said that even after the data collection and registration have been completed, names are only added to the final voter list once the entire updating process is concluded.

According to the law, after the updating campaign has been finished the draft voter list has to be published by 2 January and the final list by 2 March next year.

However, if the national election is held in February, the EC plans to amend the electoral rolls act and finalise the list earlier.

Zubaida, a physician by profession, is originally from Dakshin Surma upazila in Sylhet. She is not actively involved in politics. However, there is speculation about whether she will contest in the next election or not.

Following Zubaida’s recent visit to Bangladesh, there have been various discussions centering her within BNP’s political circles in Sylhet. BNP followers organised cheerful processions and pasted posters throughout Sylhet city to welcome her. Anonymously circulated posters expressed support for her candidacy in the ‘prestigious’ Sylhet-1 constituency.

If a person wants to contest in the national parliamentary election, they must be a registered voter. Any registered voter can run for office from any constituency in the country.