EC to ensure expat voting rights via postal voting app: Sanaullah

Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd.) Abul Fazal Mohammad Sanaullah has assured that the Election Commission (EC) is actively working to secure voting rights of Bangladeshi citizens living abroad, emphasizing that a significant portion of the electorate resides outside the country.

“Inclusive elections cannot be achieved without incorporating overseas voters,” Sanaullah said during an online discussion via Zoom with expatriates from the Asia and Oceania regions. The meeting focused on postal voting and the Out-of-Country Voting (OCV) system and included senior EC officials and representatives from Bangladesh’s foreign missions.

Sanaullah noted that 7 to 8 percent of Bangladesh’s population lives abroad, adding, “Voting is their right. The EC is striving to overcome limitations, and if implemented properly, they will be able to exercise their voting rights in the near future.”

He highlighted that, despite a legal framework existing for decades, overseas Bangladeshis have never been able to vote in the country’s 54-year history. Following the current government’s assumption of office, the Chief Adviser assured expatriates on 16 December last year that their voting rights would be prioritized.

“This time, it is not just a promise—we want to implement it,” Sanaullah said. “The EC has gone through various phases since December and is now in the final stage. The ‘Postal Vote BD’ app will be launched on November 18.”

The app will allow overseas voters to register online and cast IT-supported postal ballots. Once registered, ballots will be delivered through the Bangladesh Post Office. Sanaullah described the app’s launch as a crucial first step, emphasizing that only registered voters will be able to participate in overseas voting.

The initiative aims to make Bangladesh’s elections more inclusive and ensure that expatriates can exercise their constitutional right to vote for the first time.