Dhaka, Dec 16 (V7N) – Ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election and associated referendums, more than 420,000 overseas Bangladeshis have registered to vote using the new “Postal Vote BD” mobile application, the Election Commission (EC) reported on Monday night.

As of 8:30 pm on December 15, the EC’s website (https://portal.ocv.gov.bd/report/by-country) confirmed that a total of 420,480 expatriate voters had registered. Among them, 394,407 are male and 26,485 are female. Of the total registrations, 6,590 applications are pending approval, while 413,997 have already been authorized.

This is the first time the EC is introducing an IT-supported postal ballot system. Eligible voters include overseas citizens, individuals under legal custody, and those assigned official voting duties. Registration through the mobile app, which began on November 19, will continue until December 25.

Under this system, registered voters will receive postal ballots via mail at their registered addresses. Voters will mark their ballots and return them to the designated returning officers using pre-addressed envelopes. The EC aims to ensure that this modernized system overcomes inefficiencies experienced in previous postal ballot processes.

The commission is preparing to manage voting on February 12, 2026, targeting participation from an estimated 50 lakh overseas voters. Officials stated that the introduction of IT-supported postal voting is part of broader efforts to enhance transparency, accessibility, and efficiency for expatriate participation in Bangladesh’s democratic process.

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