Feb 7 (V7N) — For the first time in Bangladesh’s electoral history, registered inmates are participating in national parliamentary elections, with prisoners casting their votes through postal ballots in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad polls.

Election officials said incarcerated voters are also taking part in a simultaneous reform-related referendum, marking a significant expansion of voting access within the country’s electoral process.

At Chattogram Central Jail, 320 inmates have already cast their votes out of 379 prisoners who registered for postal voting. The special voting process began on February 3 and will conclude on February 8, with remaining registered inmates expected to submit their ballots by then.

Senior Jail Superintendent Md Iqbal Hossain said registered prisoners receive a voting packet containing three envelopes — one with a ballot paper for the parliamentary election and another for the referendum, offering ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ options. After voting, inmates seal the envelopes and hand them to prison authorities, who forward them to the Election Commission through express postal services.

The Election Commission will count the postal ballots together with general votes from the relevant constituencies when announcing final results.

A similar process was carried out at Rajshahi Central Jail, where 204 inmates successfully cast votes by post. Prison authorities said around 273 inmates initially registered, but ballot papers were issued only after verification of voter details, including constituency information. Some registered inmates were later released on bail, making it impossible to collect their votes.

Officials noted that many prisoners could not register due to long periods of incarceration without prior voter registration, while others opted out because inmates released on bail after registering for postal voting are not allowed to vote outside custody.

Prison authorities confirmed that participation in the voting process was voluntary. Two former lawmakers currently detained at Rajshahi Central Jail did not register for postal voting.

Election officials described the initiative as a landmark step toward inclusive participation, ensuring that eligible citizens are not excluded from the democratic process solely due to incarceration.

END/AIJ/RH/