Labour Party seeks voting rights for expats in local polls

Bangladesh Labour Party has urged the Election Commission (EC) to take immediate legal, administrative and technological measures to ensure voting rights for Bangladeshis living abroad in upcoming local government elections.

The party made the demand in a memorandum submitted to the Chief Election Commissioner at the EC headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka on Wednesday. A seven-member delegation of the party also met the CEC to discuss the issue.

The party said expatriate Bangladeshis, despite being registered voters, remain unable to participate in local elections even though they contribute significantly to the economy through remittances and maintain social and civic ties with their home constituencies.

It demanded that voting rights for expatriates be ensured before the local election schedule is announced. The party suggested extending the postal voting system introduced for expatriates in national elections to local polls by amending relevant laws and regulations.

Labour Party Chairman Mustafizur Rahman Iran said the party has confidence in the EC’s constitutional responsibilities, neutrality and institutional capacity.

“We hope that the commission will consider ensuring voting rights for expatriate voters a significant electoral reform and take the necessary steps in this regard,” he said.

The party also called for linking expatriates’ NID and voter information to their respective wards and institutions and using secure, auditable technology for voter registration, ballot dispatch, return, storage and counting.

It further demanded a time-bound roadmap, pilot postal voting in selected local bodies and an early announcement of the local election schedule.