Nearly 18,000 expatriates registered in first week via ‘Postal Vote BD’ app

Staff Report: PNN

Expatriate Bangladeshis living abroad have started registering through the ‘Postal Vote BD’ app to vote via postal ballot in the 13th National Parliament elections and referendums. According to data published on the Election Commission’s website on Sunday night, approximately 17,900 expatriate voters residing in countries in East Asia, Africa, and South America completed registration in the first phase.

Among the registered voters, 16,355 are men and 1,552 are women. Country-wise, South Korea has 7,768 voters, Japan 4,606, South Africa 2,311, and China 1,289 expatriate voters.

The ‘Postal Vote BD’ app was inaugurated on November 18 by Chief Election Commissioner A. M. M. Nasir Uddin. On the same day, the registration schedule for expatriate postal voting in 148 countries was announced.

According to the Election Commission, expatriate voters in North America and Oceania can register from November 24–28, European expatriates from November 29–December 3, those in Saudi Arabia from December 4–8, South and Southeast Asian expatriates from December 9–13, and expatriates in the Middle East (excluding Saudi Arabia) from December 14–18.

To register, expatriate voters must use a mobile number from the country where they wish to vote. The ‘Postal Vote BD’ mobile app can be downloaded from Google Play Store or App Store. Users can select Bengali or English and learn about the required documents and instructions for registration.

Election officials emphasized that providing a correct address is crucial to ensure receipt of ballots abroad.