EC rolls out phased postal voting registration for expats
In a landmark move to safeguard the democratic rights of its global diaspora, the Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh has unveiled a meticulously structured postal voting system for the upcoming 13th parliamentary elections.
The system will have a five-day registration window allocated for each country and region — a first-of-its-kind logistical framework designed to ensure inclusivity, security, and administrative feasibility.
The system, powered by the newly launched Postal Vote BD mobile application, was inaugurated on Tuesday evening by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin.
Registration for expatriate voters and eligible domestic participants will open Wednesday, November 19, and remain open through December 23 – but not all at once.
Instead, the EC has divided the world into six distinct regional blocks, each assigned a precise five-day window to register, preventing system overload and enabling targeted voter verification.
The phased rollout begins with expatriate Bangladeshis in 50 countries across East Asia, North America, and Africa, who can register between November 19 and November 23.
This is followed by citizens in 14 countries in North America and two in Oceania, eligible to register from November 24 to November 28. Voters in 42 European nations will then have their turn from November 29 to December 3.
A separate window has been carved out for Saudi Arabia – home to one of the largest concentrations of Bangladeshi workers – with registration open from December 4 to December 8.
Meanwhile, expatriates in seven South Asian countries and 11 Southeast Asian nations will be able to register between December 9 and December 13.
The final regional block – comprising 14 Middle Eastern countries excluding Saudi Arabia – will open registration from December 14 to December 18.
Domestic voters eligible for postal ballots – including government employees posted outside their home constituencies, members of the security forces on election duty, and persons in legal custody – will have their registration period from December 19 to December 23.
The EC has also indicated that any expatriate voter who missed their designated window may be granted a final opportunity during this domestic phase, subject to verification.
Once registration closes, the EC will begin dispatching postal ballot packets to verified voters abroad, with delivery timelines calibrated to account for international mail logistics. Ballots are expected to reach returning officers within 16 to 28 days after being mailed, ensuring sufficient time for secure return and counting.
The 13th parliamentary elections are scheduled for the first half of February 2026, with the official poll schedule – including dates for nomination, campaigning, and voting – to be announced in the first half of December.
The Postal Vote BD app, available on Android and iOS, will guide users through identity verification using national ID or passport details, address confirmation, and ballot preference selection. The EC has partnered with international postal services and diplomatic missions to ensure secure handling and chain-of-custody protocols.