Dhaka, Sep 18 (IANS) — Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and several of her family members will not be allowed to vote in next year’s general elections after their National Identity (NID) cards were blocked, local media reported.
Election Commission (EC) Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed told reporters on Wednesday that anyone with a locked NID cannot register to vote from abroad. “To vote from abroad, one must register online using their NID number. A passport will not work. If someone’s NID is locked, they cannot register and therefore cannot vote,” he said. Asked specifically about Hasina, Ahmed confirmed: “She cannot vote because her NID is blocked.”
In April, the EC’s National Identity Registration Wing reportedly locked the NIDs of Hasina and nine family members following a verbal instruction from its Director General, ASM Humayn Kabir. Those affected include Sheikh Rehana Siddique, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Saima Wazed, Shahnaz Siddique, Bushra Siddique, Tulip Rizwana Siddique, Azmira Siddique, Radwan Mujib Siddique, and Tarique Ahmed Siddique.
The move comes amid a wider crackdown on Hasina’s Awami League (AL). In July, the EC removed the party’s election symbol from its website, effectively erasing its political presence. Earlier, on May 12, the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government issued a gazette banning all activities of the AL and its affiliates under the Anti-Terrorism Act, pending trial of the party and its leaders in the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).
Political analysts view these developments as part of an ongoing campaign by the interim government to sideline Hasina and her party ahead of the elections. Hasina’s abrupt ouster in August 2024 was already seen internationally as a major setback to Bangladesh’s democratic process, with critics accusing the interim government of enabling radical groups while undermining political pluralism.
