BNP collects Tarique's election nomination form for high-profile Dhaka-17
If elected, Tarique Rahman will represent the people of Dhaka Cantonment, Gulshan, Banani, Niketan, Mohakhali, Baridhara and Shahjadpur.
The nomination form for BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman has been collected today (28 December) for the upcoming election from the Dhaka-17 constituency – an important seat that represents posh areas of Gulshan, Banani, Niketan, the diplomatic zone Baridhara, and parts of Dhaka Cantonment.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's private secretary ABM Abdus Sattar collected the form at 11am from the office of Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Sharf Uddin Ahmed Choudhury.
Dhaka-17 constituency covers some of the Dhaka Cantonment area and Dhaka North City Corporation wards 15, 18, 19, and 20.
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The constituency also includes Mohakhali and Shahjadpur, bringing these areas under one administrative and electoral boundary.
However, last night (27 December), BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed told UNB that Tarique Rahman will contest the 13th parliamentary election, scheduled for 12 February, from two constituencies — Bogura-6 and Dhaka-17.
Others are or were in the race
Because of its composition, Dhaka-17 is considered a very important high-profile constituency.
Dhaka-17 was earlier slated for Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) Chairman Andaleeve Rahman Partho to contest as a BNP alliance partner. In line with this arrangement, the BNP did not announce a candidate for the seat.
Meanwhile, the National Citizen Party's candidate for the same constituency was its Joint Convener Dr Tajnuva Jabeen. And for Jamaat-e-Islami, it was Dr Khaliduzzaman SM. While the Jamaat candidate has made no reaction yet on Tarique Rahman's appearance in the electoral race, the NCP candidate bowed out today (28 December).
The move comes after NCP leader Tasnim Jara resigned as the party's senior joint member secretary last night and announced that she will contest the upcoming election as an independent candidate from Dhaka-9.
Yesterday (27 December), 30 NCP leaders formally objected to the party's reported move to forge an electoral alliance with the Jamaat-e-Islami-led eight-party alliance, submitting a letter of protest to NCP Convener Nahid Islam.
The memorandum, titled "Principled objections to a potential alliance in light of the accountability of the July Uprising and party values", was sent amid reports that seat-sharing talks between the NCP and the Jamaat-led alliance are nearing completion.
It argues that political strategy must be shaped by policy principles, not the abandonment of those principles for short-term electoral gain.
According to the memorandum, the objection is rooted in the party's declared ideology, its historical responsibility following the July mass uprising, and questions of democratic morality.
