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ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retired) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah on Thursday warned that anyone attempting irregularities or fraud in voting through postal ballots, introduced for the first time for expatriate Bangladeshis, will face strict legal action, state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) News reported. He said those involved in such offences would have their National Identity Cards (NIDs) blocked, face criminal cases, and, if necessary, be deported from the concerned countries. Electoral integrityThe election commissioner made the remarks while briefing journalists at Nirbachan Bhaban (Election Commission of Bangladesh ) in the capital&#39;s Agargaon following a virtual meeting with Bangladesh&#39;s ambassadors and heads of missions stationed abroad, BSS reported. Sanaullah said, &quot;We have categorically made it clear to everyone that electoral integrity must not be compromised under any circumstances. If anyone is found engaging in unethical practices over postal ballots to serve vested interests, there will be zero tolerance.&quot; Fresh election schedule&nbsp;The Election Commission (EC) has announced a fresh election schedule for Pabna-1 and Pabna-2 constituencies in the upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad elections, following directives from the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, BSS reported on Friday. A gazette notification signed by EC Secretariat Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed on Thursday night disclosed the matter, saying the revised schedule was fixed by cancelling the relevant portion of the previously issued gazette dated Dec. 11, 2025 in compliance with an order of the Appellate Division passed on Jan. 15. According to the new schedule, Jan. 18 has been fixed as the last date for submission of nomination papers to the returning or assistant returning officers, while scrutiny of the submitted nomination papers will be held on Jan. 19. Polling on Feb. 12&nbsp;Aggrieved candidates may file appeals against the decisions of the returning officers from Jan. 20 to Jan. 24, while disposal of the appeals will be completed on Jan. 25. Jan. 26 has been set as the last date for withdrawal of candidature, and election symbols will be allotted among the candidates on Jan. 27. The EC Secretariat said polling in the two constituencies will be held on Feb. 12 from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm continuously through ballot papers.&nbsp; Voters will cast their votes using transparent ballot boxes, the BSS reported.

Bangladesh

Says, 'We have categorically made it clear to everyone that electoral integrity must not be compromised under any circumstances. If anyone is found engaging in unethical practices over postal ballots to serve vested interests, there will be zero tolerance.'

Bangladeshi election commissioner warns of legal action over postal ballot irregularities 

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).&nbsp;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.&nbsp;&lsquo;Postal Vote BD&rsquo;Registration is being done via the &ldquo;Postal Vote BD&rdquo; app for expatriates, election officials, polling staff, and government employees residing outside their constituencies.&nbsp;Of the registered voters, 11,22,287 are men, and 1,84,806 are women.&nbsp;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).&nbsp;In-country postal votes account for 5,84,347 registrations, with Cumilla, Dhaka, and Chattogram recording the highest district numbers.&nbsp;At the constituency level, Feni-3 leads with 15,164 registrations, followed by Chattogram-15 (12,740) and Noakhali-1 (12,612).&nbsp;Over 0.5m postal ballots dispatchedOver 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.&nbsp;The EC has extended the registration deadline until Jan. 5, allowing expatriates, government employees, election staff, and legally detained voters to participate.&nbsp;Nomination papers for Dhaka constituencies&nbsp;Meanwhile, the EC has initially approved 119 and cancelled 54 nomination papers for candidates contesting 13 Dhaka constituencies.&nbsp;Most disqualifications were due to mismatched signatures, loan defaults, or missing affidavits, while party-backed candidates&rsquo; nominations were rejected for missing signatures from authorized officials.&nbsp;Aggrieved candidates can appeal between Jan. 5 and 9.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;Extensive officer reshuffling has been carried out to ensure operational neutrality, while high-threat candidates, including election commissioners, have been provided with security personnel.&nbsp;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.

With postal ballots being dispatched to expatriates worldwide, nomination scrutiny ongoing, and security measures being taken, Bangladesh is steadily gearing up for a nationwide vote.

Articles tagged with "Postal Ballots"

Bangladeshi election commissioner warns of legal action over postal ballot irregularities

Bangladesh prepares for February 12 elections with postal voting, security measures