Dhaka: Senior Secretary of the Election Commission (EC) Secretariat Akhtar Ahmed today announced that the app titled ‘Postal Vote BD’, developed to facilitate voter registration for expatriate Bangladeshis in anticipation of the upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad election, will be launched between the last week of October and the first week of November this year. This app aims to streamline the voter registration process for Bangladeshis living abroad.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, significant progress has already been made in the registration process for expatriates. The development of the app is nearing completion, and plans are set for its inauguration within the specified timeframe. Akhtar Ahmed briefed journalists at Nirbachan Bhaban in Agargaon, indicating that if technical preparations finish earlier than expected, the app could be launched ahead of schedule.
He further stated that voter registration activities have commenced in 11 countries, with recent launches in New York and Washington, USA. The program will soon extend to Miami and Los Angeles as well. Akhtar highlighted that expanding registration activities to additional countries remains a priority, though it presents challenges in determining the number of expatriate voters that can be registered before the upcoming election.
The senior secretary emphasized the logistical efforts involved, noting that technical teams, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are dispatched to set up systems and train embassy officials in each country. October 31 has been set as the deadline for voter registration, with concerted efforts underway to maximize expatriate registration by this date.
Akhtar also mentioned plans to send technical teams to Oman, South Africa, Maldives, and Jordan soon. Bahrain, Singapore, France, and Spain have already agreed to facilitate the registration process, bringing the total number of participating countries to 19.
In response to inquiries about election observers’ registration, Akhtar stated that the EC has verified the validity of the concerned organizations’ addresses and structures. Although the initial verification process is incomplete, a public notice has been published in newspapers for transparency.