EC explains voting process for prisoners
The Election Commission (EC) has issued detailed guidelines enabling voters detained in prisons or under legal custody to cast their votes in the upcoming national election.
According to Rule 10A of the Election Conduct Rules 2008 (amended in 2025), inmates and detainees will be able to exercise their voting rights through the In-Country Postal Voting (ICPV) system.
The guidelines, signed by Election Commission Deputy Secretary Mohammad Monir Hossain, were sent to the Inspector General (Prisons) on Wednesday, December 24, said a handout issued on Thursday, December 25.
Under the guidelines, the enrolment of voters detained in prisons or under legal custody will be approved by the respective authorities. Registration must be completed using the designated web portal: https://prisoner.ocv.gov.bd/login.
Prison or legal custody authorities will nominate two representatives to carry out the registration process.
After registering interested voters, the authorities will send a printed list of registered voters, duly sealed and signed, to the Election Commission. At the same time, the nominated representatives will upload the required voter information in .xls or .csv format to the designated portal.
Registered voters in prison or legal custody will receive a postal ballot envelope through the authority concerned.
The envelope sent by the Election Commission will contain two separate ballot papers—one for the national election and another for the referendum—along with voting instructions, a declaration form, and a return envelope addressed to the Returning Officer.
The guidelines mentioned that prison or legal custody authorities must ensure a suitable environment for detainees to vote.
The postal ballot papers will not contain the names of candidates; only the allotted symbols with blank spaces beside them will be printed. To facilitate voting, the authorities will provide voters with the final list of candidates, including names and symbols, for their respective parliamentary constituencies.
Voters will cast their votes in the parliamentary election by placing a tick (✓) or cross (×) in the blank box next to the preferred symbol. For the referendum, voters will similarly mark a tick (✓) or cross (×) in the box next to ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.
Before voting, the declaration form must be signed using the voter’s name and National Identity Card number. If a voter is unable to sign, another voter may attest the declaration.
After voting, the ballot papers must be placed in two small envelopes, which will then be sealed. The sealed envelopes, along with the signed declaration form, must be placed inside the yellow return envelope addressed to the Returning Officer and submitted to the designated collection point or box within the prison or legal custody facility.
Upon completion of the voting process, the prison or legal custody authorities will securely store all postal ballot envelopes and send or hand them over to the nearest post office as soon as possible. Postal officials will then ensure the ballots are delivered promptly to the respective Returning Officers.
No postage fee will be required for sending the ballot envelopes, as the cost will be borne by the government, the handout added.
Source: UNB