Dhaka: Over 170,000 overseas Bangladeshis have successfully registered to vote in the upcoming 13th National Parliament election and referendum. These registrations were facilitated through the Postal Vote BD app, as confirmed by the Election Commission (EC).
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the latest update from the EC website shows that 151,907 male and 18,197 female expatriates have completed their registration as of Thursday noon. The country-wise breakdown of registration includes notable numbers from Saudi Arabia (27,002), the USA (18,893), and Singapore (10,371), among others.
Salim Ahmad Khan, team leader of the Out of Country Voting (OCV) System Development and Implementation (SDI) Project, emphasized the positive response to the initiative. He highlighted the priority of reaching overseas Bangladeshis while addressing cyber security concerns. As of Wednesday morning, approximately 435,000 expatriates had downloaded the app on android devices, although comprehensive data on total downloads is not yet available.
The Election Commission has extended the registration deadline via the Postal Vote BD app to December 25 from the original cutoff of December 18 at 11:59 pm. Senior Secretary of the EC Secretariat, Akhtar Ahmed, explained that this extension allows overseas Bangladeshis more time to register from anywhere in the world through the app.
Additionally, the EC plans to introduce in-country postal voting (ICPV) for specific groups such as government officials, voters in legal custody, and government employees stationed outside their constituencies. Registration for ICPV will open for a period of 15 days following the announcement of the election schedule.
The Postal Vote BD app, inaugurated on November 18 by the Chief Election Commissioner, supports registration from 148 designated countries. Overseas voters must use a mobile number from their voting country and provide an accurate address to ensure ballot delivery. The app is available for download from both Google Play Store and Apple Store.