Over 15,000 Expatriates Register in Four Days as First Phase Ends Today

The registration period for expatriate Bangladeshis to cast their votes via postal ballot in the upcoming 13th national election concludes today, Sunday, 23 November. Over the past four days, more than 15,000 voters from 52 countries across East Asia, South America, and Africa have successfully registered through the official ‘Postal Vote BD’ app.

According to the Election Commission’s registration report portal (https://portal.ocv.gov.bd/report), as of 3 pm on Sunday, a total of 15,075 expatriates had completed their registration. Of these, 13,821 were men and 1,254 were women, reflecting the demographic distribution of voters abroad.

The Bangladesh Election Commission has implemented a five-day registration window for each global region. In the first phase, expatriates from East Asia, South America, and Africa were able to register between 19 and 23 November. Retired Brigadier General Salim Ahmad Khan, Team Leader of the ‘Out of Country Voting System and Implementation (OCV–SDI)’ project, confirmed that expatriates in other regions will be given the opportunity to register in successive phases up to 18 December.

South Korea recorded the highest number of registrants in this first phase, with 6,679 voters, followed by Japan with 3,738, South Africa with 1,808, and China with 1,155. Final totals for all countries in this phase are expected to be released after midnight.

A special registration period has also been scheduled from 19 to 23 December for three categories of residents: those living inside the country who missed the regular registration window, as well as expatriates who were unable to register earlier. Only individuals successfully registered through these processes will be eligible to vote by postal ballot in the 13th national election and referendum.

The initiative forms part of Bangladesh’s broader efforts to ensure the participation of its overseas citizens in democratic processes, providing a secure and accessible means for expatriates to exercise their voting rights.

The following table summarises key registration statistics from 19–23 November:

The Election Commission continues to encourage expatriates to complete registration before deadlines to ensure their participation in the postal voting system.