Dhaka: The Election Commission (EC) is set to launch a voter registration and National Identity Card (NID) issuance program for Bangladeshi expatriates living in Japan within this month. The initiative aims to facilitate the participation of Bangladeshi citizens residing in Japan in the electoral process.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, ASM Humayun Kabir, Director General of the EC’s National Identity Registration Division, addressed the media today, highlighting the delay in the program’s commencement. Initially, the EC planned to start the voter registration and NID issuance by July 15. However, a technical issue has postponed the launch. Despite these challenges, Kabir assured that preparations are in place, and visas for officials and staff traveling to Japan have been issued. The delay is primarily due to the acquisition of a public internal protocol (IP), which is essential for the program’s execution.
Kabir explained that while obtaining a private IP is straightforward, securing a public IP takes more time. He expressed optimism about resolving this issue by Thursday, which would allow personnel to travel within 10 to 12 days, keeping the program on track for a launch this month.
According to a letter signed on July 2 by Md. Abdul Momin Sarkar, Director (Registration and Expatriates) of the EC’s National Identity Registration Division, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs consented to the program on May 25. Following this approval, the EC completed its preparations for the July launch.
EC officials noted that similar voter registration and NID issuance programs are already underway for Bangladeshi expatriates in countries including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Kuwait, Qatar, Malaysia, Australia, and Canada. To date, 48,032 expatriates from these countries have applied for voter registration. Biometric data has been collected for 29,646 applicants, and 17,367 individuals have been approved for voter registration. However, applications from 3,756 individuals have been rejected.