Photo : BSS

DHAKA, April 9, 2025 (BSS) - Election Commissioner Brigadier General Abul 
Fazal Md Sanaullah (Retd) today said expatriates will be included in the 
voting process, regardless of the method used.

"A team of experts will be formed within today (Wednesday) to consult on the 
issue," he revealed this at a press conference at the Election Commission's 
Media Center in the capital's Agargaon area.

Mentioning that various methods will be required to ensure the voting rights 
of expatriates, he affirmed that expatriates must be included in the next 
national elections, no matter the approach taken.

The Election Commissioner said the Chief Adviser had first mentioned granting 
voting rights to expatriates, and therefore, the Election Commission (EC) has 
also borne this expectation.

"We've studied 178 countries and found that 115 of them have made provisions 
for expatriate voting. The most common methods are embassy-based voting, 
followed by postal ballots, and then online or proxy voting," he said.

Sanaullah continued, explaining that due to the widespread existence of 
Bangladeshi expatriates, scope of embassy-based voting is limited. For this 
reason, he said, the EC has focused on three possible methods: postal 
ballots, online voting, and proxy voting, and each method has its advantages 
and limitations.

Following discussions within the commission, he said, the EC held a workshop 
yesterday with election, law, and technical experts, as well as 
representatives from various organisations, including Dhaka University (DU), 
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), the Military 
Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), the Ministry of Social Welfare, 
and the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. 

In total, 10 teams presented their proposals there. Out of the 10 
presentations, the EC assessed the pros and cons of the three methods.

Sanaullah said online voting has not yet gained widespread acceptance 
although some countries have been using it for four to five years. 

Mentioning that further fine-tune is necessary to refine the methods 
discussed in the workshop, he said the next step is to establish an advisory 
team to review the findings.

"The team will evaluate the successes and limitations of the three methods 
and propose ways to address the challenges. After that, we will meet with 
stakeholders," he said, adding, "Whatever we do, we have to customize it 
within the time we get. So if we don't get time, it will not be possible to 
implement. For this reason, we aren't wasting a single day." 

The Election Commissioner expressed hope that expatriates will be included in 
the voting process this time, but clarified that the final method will be 
determined after the technical team's review.

Regarding proxy voting, the Commissioner stated, "If we want to include all 
voters, proxy voting may be the only viable option. Our position on this 
matter remains unchanged. Many have pointed out the strengths and weaknesses 
of proxy voting, and the same applies to other methods. We aren't favoring 
any one option."

He emphasized that no single method is applicable to Bangladesh, and a 
combination of options may be necessary. "If we can implement all three 
methods, we will. Additionally, voter registration will be conducted online, 
regardless of the voting method."

The Commissioner also noted that the effectiveness of each method will depend 
on the country from which the expatriate intends to vote. Implementing online 
voting will require more time and resources, he said.

Sanaullah reaffirmed, "We must find a way to bring expatriate Bangladeshis 
into the voting process, despite the limitations of each method." 

"Approximately 25 countries already use proxy voting, and if we choose to 
proceed, we must find ways to mitigate the challenges posed by all methods," 
he ended.