CEC: Expat voting will fail without political backing

NN Online:
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin on Tuesday cautioned that the Election Commission’s (EC) efforts to enable overseas voting for expatriate Bangladeshis will be futile without the active support of political parties.

“We want to introduce a practical option. We seek your cooperation. Even if on a small scale, we want to begin the journey. But without political backing, all our efforts will be in vain,” the CEC said while inaugurating a seminar at the Nirbachan Bhaban in Dhaka.

The seminar, organised by the EC, focused on exploring feasible mechanisms to ensure voting rights for expatriate Bangladeshis in the upcoming 13th parliamentary elections. Participants included political leaders from various parties such as BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizen Party (NCP), as well as election experts, technical professionals, and journalists.

The commission is currently evaluating a hybrid model combining postal ballots, online voting, and proxy voting—at least on a limited basis—for the next general election.

Nasir Uddin noted that when he assumed office, he and his team pledged to enable expatriate voting. “We’re committed—and so is the Chief Adviser to the nation,” he said.

He acknowledged the long-standing demand from expatriates for voting rights, a sentiment echoed by both political leaders and the media. “From the beginning, we have been working toward this goal—conducting internal assessments, consulting experts, and evaluating suitable methods to make it possible,” he added.

The CEC emphasized that any new system must be adapted to the country’s socio-economic and political context, as well as the general level of public education.

“Our team of experts has worked diligently over the past few months and provided several recommendations. Despite time and resource constraints, we want to be transparent about our progress,” he said.

Reiterating the call for political support, Nasir Uddin warned again: “Without political leaders’ support, this initiative will fail.”

He expressed cautious optimism that some form of expatriate balloting could be launched—on a limited scale—in the next election. “Many countries have tried, with varying levels of success. We want to start—hopefully with your support.”

Among the seminar participants were BNP leaders Nazrul Islam Khan, Ismail Jabiullah, and Syed Emran Saleh Prince; Jamaat representatives Jasim Uddin and Matiur Rahman Akand; and NCP’s Khaled Saifullah.

In a previous address to the nation on December 16, 2024, Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring voting rights for Bangladeshi expatriates.