EC wants to introduce voting system for expatriates in next election: CEC

Chief election commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin has said the election commission (EC) wants to introduce a voting system for expatriate Bangladeshis, at least on a limited scale, in the next national election.

He made the announcement on Tuesday while inaugurating a seminar on expatriate voting rights, held at the Nirbachan Bhaban auditorium in the capital’s Agargaon area.

Representatives from various political parties, including the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and National Citizen Party (NCP), editors, their representatives, and university faculty members were present in the seminar.

Seeking the support of all political parties and stakeholders, CEC Nasir Uddin emphasised that their efforts would be ineffective without collective support.

“We want to at least start it in the next election,” he said in his opening speech. “Let the journey begin. Many countries have launched it, while others have not. We want to begin on a limited scale, and for that, we need your support. I hope to receive it.”

He also said the commission's activities will be shared with the public through eminent citizens.

He urged the participants to express their views in the programme and to submit written feedback afterward.

The election commission is currently working on three possible methods for expatriate voting – postal ballots, online voting, and proxy voting.

However, no final decision has been made yet, as various aspects of the methods are being discussed now, he noted.