Over 20,000 expatriates register to vote

A total of 20,795 expatriate Bangladeshis have registered through the ‘Postal Vote BD’ app to vote from abroad in the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. The Election Commission (EC) will send ballot papers to their registered addresses by post.

The information was published on the EC’s website on Monday, November 24, in the morning.

Registration for Bangladeshis living in East Asia, South America and Africa began on November 19 and will continue until November 28. Registration for those living in North America, Australia and New Zealand started just after midnight on November 23 and will run until the same date.

According to the EC, by 9:30am on Monday, citizens from 38 countries; including South Korea, Japan, South Africa, China, Egypt, Mozambique, Libya, Mauritius, Hong Kong, Brazil, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Liberia, Botswana, Kenya, Rwanda, Algeria, Angola, Tanzania, Somalia, Ghana, Guinea, Morocco, South Sudan, Chile, Sierra Leone, Ecuador, Taiwan, Argentina, Australia, the Central African Republic, the Gambia, Peru, Zimbabwe and the United States- had completed 20,577 registrations. Among them, 20,470 applications have been approved.

South Korea has recorded the highest number of registrations. Among districts, Dhaka has the most registrants, and among constituencies, Chapainawabganj-3 is in the lead.

Expatriates in Saudi Arabia may register between December 4 and December 8. Bangladeshis living in South Asia and Southeast Asia may register from December 9 to December 13. Expatriates living in Middle Eastern countries (excluding Saudi Arabia) may register between December 14 and December 18.

Those living in Bangladesh; on election duty, government employees, detainees and overseas voters staying temporarily in the country, may register from December 19 to December 23.

The EC said postal ballots will be sent to registered addresses by mail. Voters must cast their vote and return the sealed envelope to the returning officer.

The EC is preparing to hold the 13th national election in the first half of next February and is working with a target of attracting 5 million expatriate voters.