The Election Commission (EC) is set to unveil details of the registration process for expatriate Bangladeshis to vote for the first time.

Speaking to reporters at the commission’s media centre on Monday (Sept 22), the EC secretariat's public relations director Ruhul Amin Mallik, said that a framework for the Out-of-Country Voting (OCV) project has been prepared and submitted to the commission for approval.

“We have designed a system for expatriate Bangladeshis to register and vote under the OCV project,” Mallik said. “We expect the commission’s approval by this afternoon, after which the details will be made public.”

He said that widespread public awareness will be essential for the initiative’s success. “The voting method for expatriates will need extensive publicity. The more the public understands the technology, the clearer the process will be. After approval, we will announce the policy,” he said.

Public relations assistant director Ashadul Haque was also present during the briefing.

The commission aims to announce the election schedule in early December, with voting likely to take place in the first half of February. For the first time, the EC will allow expatriates to cast their ballots through postal voting. 

An app is being developed through which overseas voters can register; the EC will then send ballots, which voters will cast and return through their nearest postal facility.

In addition to overseas Bangladeshis, the system will also allow prisoners and government employees engaged in election duties to vote by postal ballot.

SMS/