3,07,000 expatriates register for postal voting
In a resounding surge of enthusiasm, more than 307,000 Bangladeshi expatriates have registered to participate in the country's groundbreaking postal voting system, just hours after the Election Commission announced the schedule for the 13th parliamentary elections and national referendum.
As of 10:00 am Thursday, 3,07,577 overseas voters had successfully enrolled via the "Postal Vote BD" app, with 2,84,349 men and 23,228 women among them. This milestone underscores a major leap towards inclusivity, allowing millions abroad to influence the pivotal twin polls for the first time.
Saudi Arabia leads with 84,600 registrations, followed by Qatar (25,257), the United States (20,755), the United Arab Emirates (19,852), Malaysia (18,156), Singapore (15,294), the United Kingdom (13,663), Oman (12,625), Italy (9,965), Canada (9,852), South Korea (9,602), Australia (8,221), Kuwait (8,204), and Japan (7,068).
EC Secretariat Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed hailed the response, announcing an extension of the registration deadline to midnight on December 25. "Any adult Bangladeshi anywhere in the world can now download the app and register," he said.
The EC has also extended address correction deadlines until 9:00 am on December 14 for seven countries – Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Malaysia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain – to ensure accurate ballot delivery. Voters are urged to provide complete addresses, including workplace details if needed, as incomplete information will prevent ballots from being sent.
Launched on November 18, the "Postal Vote BD" app requires a local mobile number from the voting country and is available on Google Play and the App Store.
Additionally, government officials on election duty outside their constituencies, along with those in legal custody, can register via the app until December 25.
As Bangladesh prepares for this transformative democratic exercise, the overwhelming expatriate turnout signals a new era of global participation in shaping the nation's future.