Overseas Bangladeshis to Vote by Postal Ballot for the First Time

For the first time in Bangladesh’s history, expatriate citizens living abroad will be able to cast their votes through postal ballots in the upcoming 13th National Parliament Election and national referendum. This groundbreaking initiative by the Election Commission (EC) has already received an overwhelming response.

According to information published on the EC’s official website, as of Tuesday, 8:00 p.m. local time, a total of 32,811 Bangladeshi expatriates from East Asia, Africa, South America, North America, and Oceania have registered to vote through the “Postal Vote BD” mobile application.

Among the registrants, 28,516 are male and 4,295 are female voters. Country-wise registration statistics show:

• South Korea: 8,558
• Japan: 5,792
• United States: 4,487
• South Africa: 3,656
• Australia: 2,958
• Canada: 2,758
• China: 1,555

Senior Secretary of the EC Secretariat, Akhtar Ahmed, described the initiative as a significant milestone in the nation’s electoral history. He added that along with expatriates, the EC has also introduced an In-Country Postal Voting (ICPV) system for government officials engaged in election duties, voters in legal custody, and government employees staying outside their home constituencies—benefiting nearly one million voters.

On 18 November, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) officially launched the Postal Vote BD app and announced the registration schedules for expatriate voters across 148 designated countries.

The first registration phase (19–23 November) covered East Asia, Africa, and South America.

The second phase (24–28 November) is currently underway for North America and Oceania.

Upcoming registration phases:

Europe: 21 November – 3 December

Saudi Arabia: 4 – 8 December

South Asia & Southeast Asia: 9 – 13 December

Other Middle Eastern countries: 14 – 18 December

To cast a postal ballot, expatriate voters must register with a mobile number from the country they reside in. After downloading the Postal Vote BD app from Google Play Store or the App Store, users can select Bangla or English and access required documents and instructions. Voters must provide accurate mailing addresses to ensure timely delivery of ballot papers overseas.