70,660 expatriates register for postal voting

A total of 70,660 expatriate Bangladeshis have so far registered to vote through the country’s first-ever postal voting system, enabling them to participate in the upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad election and the national referendum.

According to updated figures from the Election Commission (EC), the registrations were completed through the newly launched “Postal Vote BD” app as of 11:30am on Friday. Of the registered voters, 59,510 are men and 11,150 are women.

Country-wise data shows the highest number of registrations from the United States (14,236), followed by South Korea (9,075), Canada (7,087), Japan (6,452), Australia (6,027) and South Africa (4,480).

Meanwhile, registration services in Saudi Arabia and six other countries were temporarily suspended due to incorrect or incomplete address information submitted by users. The EC expects to resume services in these countries today.

Speaking to BSS, Md Ruhul Amin Mallik, Director (Public Relations) at the EC Secretariat, said efforts were underway to restore registration in all seven affected countries by the end of the day.

Earlier, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed and OCV & SDI Project Team Leader Brig Gen (Retd) Salim Ahmad Khan said that many expatriates were entering incorrect or partial address details, including missing postal codes. Since ballot papers must be delivered to precise addresses, the EC paused registration to avoid delivery failures.

They noted that expatriates would be informed through embassies and other channels to provide accurate address information. The system was specifically designed to allow registrations on Fridays, a weekly holiday for many abroad.

The EC has now opened the app-based registration globally, allowing expatriates to register anytime from 27 November to 18 December. The app was launched on 18 November with an initial regional schedule, which has now been lifted for convenience.

To vote by post, expatriates must use a valid mobile number from the country of residence and complete registration through the Postal Vote BD app, ensuring accurate mailing details for ballot delivery.