BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and his daughter Zaima Rahman will be included in the voter list on Sunday if the Election Commission gives its consent, said Election Commission 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 at around 1:45 pm on Saturday.
“The applications of Tarique Rahman and his daughter will be placed before the commission on Sunday,” Akhtar Ahmed said, adding that inclusion in the voter list would follow if all members of the commission give their approval.
He said Tarique Rahman and Zaima Rahman submitted their voter registration forms on Saturday and completed the registration process.
Referring to the legal provision, the EC secretary said that under Section 15 of the Voter List Act 2009, the commission has the authority to enrol any adult or eligible person as a voter, and based on that provision they registered as voters of Dhaka’s Ward 19.
Akhtar Ahmed said the applications would be placed before the commission, and their inclusion in the voter list would depend on the commission’s decision.
Although the registration process has been completed, he said, the commission’s internal procedures require additional time.
On whether a full Commission meeting would be held, he said approval can be granted either through a formal meeting or through processing documents, depending on commission’s decision.
“My responsibility is to place the matter before the commission, and I will do that tomorrow,” he said.
Regarding the time needed to finalise the process, Akhtar Ahmed said fingerprints, signatures, facial images and iris data must be matched, after which a voter or National Identity Card number is issued, expressing hope that the process would be completed on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, at around 1 pm, Tarique Rahman went to the Election Training Institute building in Agargaon, where he provided fingerprints, iris images and other biometric information in the presence of Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed.
