The Election Commission is considering the introduction of proxy voting for expatriate Bangladeshis in the 13th parliamentary elections as the commission thinks that this system would be the most practical solution to the issue within the timeframe available for the polls.
Proxy voting is a system in which an authorised individual in Bangladesh would vote on behalf of an expatriate.
Election commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah on Tuesday told reporters that to facilitate voting for the country鈥檚 citizens living overseas, the commission was considering three alternative methods 鈥� a postal ballot system, an online voting platform and proxy voting.
While trials are being conducted on the postal and online systems, the EC secretariat鈥檚 relevant committee has recommended implementing proxy voting in the forthcoming national elections, the commissioner said.
Abul Fazal also said that a presentation on the matter was made to the commission on Monday, following which the commission approved holding a workshop on the proposal.
He said that expert opinions on the three methods would be sought early April, followed by consultations with stakeholders, including political parties.
鈥業f a consensus is reached and the system is deemed feasible, proxy voting will be introduced on a limited scale in the forthcoming elections,鈥� Abul Fazal said.
The commissioner said that proxy voting was the only method that could be implemented within a short period of time.
The EC has approved a road map proposed by its committee, which includes a workshop on the three voting methods for the expatriates.
The workshop is scheduled for April 7-8, the election commissioner said.
Following this, discussions would be held with different stakeholders, including political parties, he said.
Abul Fazal said that the chief adviser in his national address on December 16, 2024 reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring voting rights for expatriates.
He said that if the Election Commission was to fulfil both its own expectations and those of the expatriate community, proxy voting remained the most viable option, as postal ballots took 24-40 days to reach expatriates, making the system impractical.
He said that in the 12th parliamentary elections, not a single vote was cast by expatriates through postal ballots.
Regarding online voting, he said that it had not gained much acceptance in the world.