Over 1.5 Million Register for Postal Ballots in Bangladesh Election

More than 1.5 million Bangladeshis have registered to cast their votes via postal ballot for the upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad Election and national referendum. The registration period, conducted through the "Postal Vote BD" app, concluded at midnight Monday.

According to the Election Commission (EC), 1,533,682 voters successfully registered. The total includes 1.28 million men and over 252,000 women. The registration system targeted expatriates in 148 countries, as well as government employees, election officials stationed away from home, and individuals in legal custody.

Saudi Arabia led the expatriate registration with 239,186 voters, followed by Malaysia, Qatar, and Oman. Domestically, over 761,000 voters registered for in-country postal voting. Cumilla recorded the highest district-level turnout with 112,090 registrants, narrowly outpacing Dhaka and Chattogram.

Salim Ahmad Khan, leader of the Out of Country Voting (OCV-SDI) project, confirmed that the registration deadline will not be extended. He noted that ballots sent to expatriates in 81 countries should arrive by January 10.

Authorities issued a stern warning regarding election integrity: voters are responsible for maintaining ballot secrecy. "National Identity Cards (NID) could be blocked if ballot secrecy is violated," Khan warned.

The EC also identified approximately 10,000 incorrect addresses. Affected voters have been notified via text message to submit corrected information to ensure they receive their ballots on time.