Dhaka: Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries today assured of helping expatriate Bangladeshis to cast votes in Bangladesh’s next parliament elections as its mission chiefs met with election commissioners to discuss polls preparation at the Election Commission (EC) headquarter.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the heads of missions from OIC member countries stationed in Bangladesh have committed to assisting expatriate Bangladeshis in exercising their voting rights in the next elections. Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd) Abul Fazl Md Sanaullah conveyed this assurance to newsmen after the meeting.
The OIC envoys extended their support following a request from the election commission to facilitate voting for expatriates residing in OIC member countries. Several envoys expressed their willingness to contribute to this effort.
The envoys also recommended inviting overseas election monitoring teams, a suggestion that was welcomed by the election commission. The commissioners briefed the envoys on the preparations underway for the upcoming 13th parliamentary election.
Election Commissioner Md Sanaullah outlined three proposed options for facilitating votes from expatriate Bangladeshis: a time-bound postal ballot system, an online voting mechanism, and proxy voting. However, he clarified that none of these models have been finalized, and discussions are ongoing.
Malaysian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Mohd Shuhada Othman, expressed his country’s readiness to share its experiences, particularly concerning overseas voters and ensuring free, fair, and credible elections.
The meeting was attended by the chief election commissioner, four election commissioners, the EC secretary, and other high-ranking officials.