BNP Alleges Manipulation After Postal Ballot Video Surfaces

A fresh controversy has emerged ahead of Bangladesh’s thirteenth parliamentary election after videos showing large numbers of postal ballots being counted inside a private residence circulated widely on social media. The footage, which has triggered intense political debate, appears to show several individuals handling and counting postal ballots bearing addresses from Bahrain, raising questions about the integrity of the overseas voting process.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Tuesday formally urged the Election Commission (EC) to take immediate legal action, alleging that leaders of a “particular political party” were involved in the incident. According to the party, the videos point to organised interference in the postal voting system introduced for expatriate Bangladeshis.

The primary video, lasting 7 minutes and 32 seconds, shows multiple people seated around a table counting envelopes identified as postal ballots. At several points, voices can be heard attempting to stop the person recording the footage. One individual is heard saying that filming should cease and warning that the video must not be shared on Facebook, citing potential reputational damage and the risk that postal voting for expatriates in Bahrain could be suspended if the footage became public. Another voice insists that the ballots were handed over to them and that they would not be bringing any more, urging others to take what was present but not to record it.

Fact-checking efforts have confirmed that the video is not generated or manipulated using artificial intelligence. A second, shorter video of 27 seconds has also surfaced, again showing postal ballots being counted. This clip was posted on Facebook by an individual who claimed it was recorded at the home of a Jamaat-e-Islami member in Oman. Others have asserted that the longer video was filmed at a Jamaat-affiliated residence in Bahrain, though these claims have not been independently verified.

In the shorter clip, references are heard to the Chattogram-3 parliamentary constituency. When contacted, the returning officer for Chattogram-3 and the district administrator stated that the authorities became aware of the matter overnight. While it is clear the incident occurred outside Bangladesh, the exact country has yet to be officially confirmed, and investigations are ongoing.

The issue was formally raised during a meeting on Saturday afternoon between the Chief Election Commissioner and a four-member BNP delegation led by senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan. Following the meeting, Khan told journalists that the EC had acknowledged the videos and confirmed contact with the Bangladeshi ambassador in Bahrain. He added that the commission had assured the BNP of a full investigation and warned that any attempt at electoral manipulation could result in the blocking of national identity cards and removal from the voter roll.

The Election Commission has yet to issue a detailed public statement, while Jamaat-e-Islami has not provided an immediate response.

This controversy comes at a sensitive time, as expatriate Bangladeshis are participating in postal voting for the first time under a newly introduced IT-supported postal ballot system. Although postal voting existed previously in law, its application was limited. The revised system followed amendments to electoral legislation, with registration through the “Postal Vote BD” app closing on 5 January.

According to EC sources, a total of 1,527,155 voters have been approved for postal voting across all 300 constituencies.

As scrutiny intensifies, the credibility of the postal voting mechanism—particularly for overseas voters—has become a focal point of political debate, with opposition parties pressing the Election Commission to demonstrate transparency and decisive enforcement of electoral law.