Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin expressed hope for the support of political parties and all stakeholders in selecting a voting method for expatriates, saying all efforts by the Election Commission (EC) would be in vain without political backing.
He made the remarks during the inaugural speech at a seminar held with stakeholders at the Election Commission building on Tuesday morning.
The current Election Commission is taking initiatives to introduce one of the voting methods-postal ballot, online voting, or proxy voting-even on a limited scale in the 13th national parliamentary elections.
The CEC said, “We want to launch a suitable option. We seek your support. Even if on a limited scale, we want to get started. If the political leaders do not support us, all our exercises will end in futility.”
In his opening remarks, the CEC said, “Today is a memorable day for us. I feel honored to take part in this EC organized event. Your presence shows your support for the EC’s initiatives.”
He highlighted the interest and support from political parties and the media.
“When we took office, we were proactive from the beginning about introducing voting rights for expatriate Bangladeshis in the upcoming election. We are committed, and the chief adviser has also made a similar promise to the nation regarding expatriate voting.”
He mentioned that expatriates have long demanded voting rights, both in private and public discourse. “We have seen articles in the media, and political leaders have also voiced similar concerns.”
He said, “We have been working on this from the beginning. We’ve done in-house exercises and taken support from institutional experts. We are trying to identify a suitable option that we can introduce.”
The CEC said that the country’s socio-economic and political realities, as well as the general level of education, must be considered when making a decision.
“Our experts have worked tirelessly for months and made some suggestions,” He added.
Representatives from 21 parties, including BNP, Jamaat, and NCP, were present at the seminar.
The BNP delegation included Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan, Ismail Jabihullah, and Syed Emran Saleh Prince.
From the unregistered Jamaat-e-Islami, a three-member delegation included Advocate Jashid Uddin and Matiur Rahman Akand.
NCP’s Joint Convenor Khaled Saifullah and representatives from Bangladesh Rashtra Sanskar Andolon, Bangladesh Labour Party, and others also attended.
Among registered parties, LDP, CPB, JSD, Bangladesh Muslim League, NPP, Islami Andolon Bangladesh, Khilafat Majlish, Sangskritik Mukti Jote, NDM, Bangladesh Congress, Bangladesh JASAD, AB Party, Gano Adhikar Parishad, Nagorik Oikya, Ganosamhati Andolon, Bangladesh Development Party, and Bangladesh Jatiya Party were represented. Media, technical experts, and civil society members were also present.
The seminar mainly discussed ensuring transparency in the expatriate voting process, system design and technical feasibility, implementing appropriate security measures, maintaining international standards, and identifying legal, logistical, and operational challenges along with possible solutions.
