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A total of 70,660 expatriate Bangladeshis have so far registered for the country’s first-ever postal voting system, enabling them to cast their ballots in the upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad election and the referendum.
Updated figures on the Election Commission (EC) website show that 70,660 expatriate voters had completed registration through the “Postal Vote BD” app as of 11:30 am today (Friday). Of them, 59,510 are men and 11,150 are women, BSS reports.
Country-wise registration shows 14,236 voters in the United States, followed by 9,075 in South Korea, 7,087 in Canada, 6,452 in Japan, 6,027 in Australia, and 4,480 in South Africa.
Meanwhile, although voter registration remained temporarily suspended in Saudi Arabia and six other countries due to incorrect or incomplete address information submitted through the newly launched app, the Election Commission (EC) expects to resume the service today, Friday.
Speaking to BSS, Director (Public Relations) and Information Officer at the EC Secretariat Md Ruhul Amin Mallik said efforts were underway to restart the registration service in the seven countries by the end of the day.
On Thursday, EC Secretariat Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed and Team Leader of the OCV and SDI Project Brigadier General (Retd) Salim Ahmad Khan told journalists that around 2:30 am the previous night it was observed that expatriate voters in seven countries, including Saudi Arabia, were unable to input their addresses correctly.
They said ballot papers must be delivered to accurate addresses written in English with complete postal codes. Many users were providing incorrect or incomplete information in mandatory fields, prompting the EC to temporarily halt the registration process. Expatriates will be informed through embassies and other channels about providing correct address details.
They added that the system was designed so expatriate voters could register on Friday, a weekly holiday in many countries. “Inshallah, we are trying to reopen the app on Friday,” they said.
The EC has now opened the app-based registration process for expatriate voters in all countries across the world.
A press release issued by the Election Commission on Wednesday night stated that from 12:01 am Bangladesh time on 27 November to 11:59 pm on 18 December, the registration process for expatriate voters through the “Postal Vote BD” app will remain open worldwide.
The EC Secretariat Senior Secretary said that after the app was launched on 18 November, the global expatriate community had initially been divided into eight regions, with each region allotted a specific five-day registration window. However, this restriction has now been lifted considering the convenience of expatriates.
He said expatriate Bangladeshis can register from anywhere in the world at any time from 27 November onward.
The Chief Election Commissioner inaugurated the app on 18 November and announced the registration schedule for 148 designated countries for the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election.
To cast a postal ballot, an expatriate voter must use the mobile number of the country from which they will vote. The voter must download and install the “Postal Vote BD” app from the Google Play Store or the App Store.
Users can select Bangla or English and view the required documents and instructions for registration. Providing accurate addresses is essential to ensure the delivery of ballot papers abroad.