ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh is intensifying preparations for the 13th Jatiya Sangsad or general election, scheduled for Feb. 12, with the Election Commission (EC), police, and expatriate voting systems taking key measures to ensure a smooth electoral process, according to reports by state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).
According to the EC, a total of 13,07,095 voters have registered to cast postal ballots ahead of the national elections and an accompanying referendum.
‘Postal Vote BD’
Registration is being done via the “Postal Vote BD” app for expatriates, election officials, polling staff, and government employees residing outside their constituencies.
Of the registered voters, 11,22,287 are men, and 1,84,806 are women.
Among expatriates, Saudi Arabia has the largest number of registrants at 223,609, followed by Malaysia (76,660), Qatar (73,468), Oman (51,163), and Kuwait (33,607).
In-country postal votes account for 5,84,347 registrations, with Cumilla, Dhaka, and Chattogram recording the highest district numbers.
At the constituency level, Feni-3 leads with 15,164 registrations, followed by Chattogram-15 (12,740) and Noakhali-1 (12,612).
Over 0.5m postal ballots dispatched
Over the past two weeks, 581,689 postal ballots have been dispatched to expatriate voters in 75 countries, including 187,443 ballots to Saudi Arabia, 66,577 to Malaysia, and 64,700 to Qatar.
The EC has extended the registration deadline until Jan. 5, allowing expatriates, government employees, election staff, and legally detained voters to participate.
Nomination papers for Dhaka constituencies
Meanwhile, the EC has initially approved 119 and cancelled 54 nomination papers for candidates contesting 13 Dhaka constituencies.
Most disqualifications were due to mismatched signatures, loan defaults, or missing affidavits, while party-backed candidates’ nominations were rejected for missing signatures from authorized officials.
Aggrieved candidates can appeal between Jan. 5 and 9.
Security and law-and-order preparations are a major focus ahead of the polls.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sheikh Md Sazzat Ali said maintaining peace over the next 40 days is critical for a fair election.
Extensive officer reshuffling has been carried out to ensure operational neutrality, while high-threat candidates, including election commissioners, have been provided with security personnel.
The commissioner added that ongoing investigations, such as the killing of Inqilab Moncho spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi, are under review, with video evidence being examined.
