Election Commissioner (EC) Brigadier General  (Retd.) Abul Fazal Mohammad Sanaullah spoke at an online views exchange meeting with overseas voters from the Asia and Oceania regions on postal voting and the OCV system. Photo: BSS

DHAKA, Nov 10, 2025 (BSS) - Election Commissioner (EC) Brigadier General 
(Retd.) Abul Fazal Mohammad Sanaullah has said the Election Commission is 
relentlessly working to ensure the voting rights of overseas Bangladeshis, 
noting that a significant portion of the country's voters reside abroad.

"Inclusive elections cannot be achieved without incorporating them into the 
voting process," Sanaullah told an online views exchange meeting with 
overseas voters from the Asia and Oceania regions on postal voting and the 
Out-of-Country Voting (OCV) system.

Sanaullah said, "Seven to eight percent of our population lives abroad. How 
can we hold inclusive elections without including them? Voting is their 
right. The EC is striving to overcome its limitations. If implemented 
properly, they will certainly be able to exercise their voting rights in the 
future."

The meeting, held via Zoom, was attended by senior officials of the Election 
Commission Secretariat, representatives from Bangladesh's foreign missions, 
and expatriate Bangladeshis, who discussed issues related to ensuring voting 
rights for citizens living abroad.

Sanaullah said, "Although the law has existed, overseas Bangladeshis have 
never been able to vote in the country's 54-year history. After the current 
government took office, the Chief Adviser, on December 16 last year, assured 
our overseas brothers and sisters that this time, we want to ensure their 
voting rights."

"This time, it is not just a promise-we want to implement it. Subsequently, 
the EC began working. Starting in December, we went through various phases 
and have now reached the final stage. The 'Postal Vote BD' app will be 
launched on November 18," he said.

Sanaullah added that expatriate Bangladeshis will be able to vote through IT-
supported postal ballots after completing online registration. The app for 
postal voting will go live on November 18.

The launching of the app is the first and essential step for overseas voting, 
he said, adding,"Voters must be included in the voter list to participate. 
After the app is launched, those who register will receive a ballot through 
the Bangladesh Post Office for postal voting."