United News of Bangladesh

Although the Election Commission (EC) is leaning towards the introduction of a ‘proxy voting’ method on a larger scale among three proposed postal ballot, online voting and proxy voting mechanisms for collecting votes from expatriates, political parties on Tuesday expressed concerns about potential risks and flaws associated with it. Several parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, National Citizen Party-NCP, Gono Odhikar Parishad, AB-- raised concerns over the security, flaws and reality of the proxy voting system—particularly the issue of vote reflection, where a proxy might not represent the real choice of the voter. BNP said they would review all three options within its party forum and send its opinion to the EC. The political parties raised their respective stances over the voting rights of the expatriates at a seminar in Nirbachan Bhaban. The EC arranged the seminar to explore feasible options for enabling expatriate Bangladeshis to exercise their voting rights in the next national election. Representatives from at least 21 political parties, including BNP, Jamaat and NCP, along with election experts, technical specialists participated in the discussion. Though different suggestions came at the seminar, but the EC finally asked the political parties to send their written opinion by May 15 over the balloting system for the Bangladeshi diaspora community living in various countries. In the closing speech of the seminar in the afternoon, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin said the participants raised very valuable opinions. “We are trying to select an appropriate method. InshaAllah, we will give importance to your opinions," he said. BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan emphasised the need to consider passports along with national identity (NID) cards to ensure inclusivity as many expatriates still lack NIDs. He said BNP had proposed expatriate voting rights as early as 2014, during discussions over amendments to the Representation of the People Order (RPO). Remove obstacles to availability of vitamin-enriched safe edible oil: Experts Noting that BNP has been supporting the voting rights of the expatriates, Nazrul Islam Khan said, “We fully support this initiative (taken by the current EC).” The BNP leader said they will discussion the three methods – postal, online and proxy balloting-- in their party forum and will send their opinion. "No system in the world is foolproof. If it is foolproof, there is no need for reform or revolution. We will consider and agree on the process that is easiest, most understandable, most acceptable to the majority of people, and most cost-effective," said Nazrul Islam Khan. Jamaat leader Jasim Uddin Sarkar described the EC’s effort as a “good initiative” saying that it will have to go forward through trial and error. He said they would inform their final opinion discussing the matter in their party forum. Another Jamaat leader, Matiur Rahman Akand, questioned the reflection of the proxy voting. If a person prefers candidate X, but his proxy person votes for candidate Y, then it would not be the real reflection of the voter’s choice, he said. NCC joint convener Khaled Saifullah said a lot of interest from expatriates to vote has been seen after the mass uprising. “Our expectation from the EC is that it will make every effort to ensure their voting rights," he said. Noting that trust is important in any method either it online or postal balloting, he said, “We’ve doubt over the proxy balloting.”    The NCP leader said if there is a proxy voting, there may be larger number of votes collected (from the expatriates) in some places. In that case, it could be a threat. “We will discuss it in the party forum and give our opinion to the EC," he said. Rashed Khan of Gono Odhikar Parishad echoed similar concerns and said they will inform the EC the opinion discussing it in the party forum. "My mother votes for one party and my father votes for another party. In this case, we need to think about how to ensure security through proxy voting," he said. AB Party’s Abbas Islam Khan suggested that the EC must also consider passport holders, particularly in Western countries, where many expatriates lack NIDs. He also pointed to cybersecurity issues in online voting and said proxy voting in Bangladesh could be highly risky. The CEC in the inaugural speech said the Election Commission’s initiatives to facilitate expatriate voting will prove ineffective without the active support of political parties. “We want to introduce a feasible option. We seek your support. Even on a small scale, we want to begin the journey…if political leaders do not support us, all our exercises will end in futility,” he said. When they took office, the CEC said, they pledged to introduce a voting system for expatriates. “We’re committed, and so is the chief adviser to the nation.” Reiterating his call for political support, he said, “If political leaders do not support us, it will all end in futility.” He expressed hope that balloting for expatriates could be introduced—at least on a small scale—in the next national election. “We want to start in the next election, at least in a limited way. Many countries have tried but couldn’t sustain it. Some succeeded, some didn’t. But we want to begin—hopefully with your support.”  In his address to the nation on December 16, 2024, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus said the government is determined to ensure that expatriate Bangladeshis are able to exercise their right to vote. Following the chief adviser’s commitment, the EC is currently exploring three balloting options—proxy, postal and online voting.

Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abdul Fazal Md Sanaullah on Tuesday said the Election Commission is thinking about introducing a proxy voting system in a bid to ensure the franchise of expatriate Bangladeshis in the upcoming national election.  “In the next election, if we really want to fulfill the expectations and keep what the Chief Adviser (on December 16, 2024) said we want to fulfill the expectations of the expatriates; then we will have to go for proxy voting system… but the final decision depends on a consensus among political parties and other stakeholders,” he said while taking to reporters at Nirbachon Bhaban in the capital. Sanaullah is the head of a committee formed by the Election Committee to examine the balloting systems to ensure the application of voting rights of the expatriate Bangladeshis. He said that the Chief Adviser, in his address to the nation on December 16, specifically said that this time they want to ensure the votes of expatriate Bangladeshis. “This time, we want to implement, not just assure. We want to invent a reliable system,” the chief adviser was quoted as saying. In light of the Chief Adviser, the Election Commission has given the responsibility to the concerned committee to submit a proposal in this regard, said the Election Commissioner. “The Election Commission is making every effort to bring expatriate Bangladeshis under the voting system,” he said. 42,000 Bangladeshi expats seek voter registration abroad The committee examined three balloting systems for expatriates – postal balloting system, online balloting system and proxy balloting system. About the postal system, he said, their (committee’s) finding is that the postal system is currently a dysfunctional system for expatriates. “That is why not a single vote was cast by an expatriate in the last 12th parliamentary elections. A total of 433 votes were cast from the people within Bangladesh,” he added. About the online voting system, the Election Commissioner said online voting has not become very popular in different countries like the United States, the Philippines, Estonia and Mexico. “Besides, in our subcontinent, India, Pakistan and a few countries are piloting online systems.” But during a discussion, the UNDP said many people could not succeed with this online system and finally returned to their previous system. Talking about the proxy voting system, Sanaullah said the proxy balloting system is practiced in various countries, including Australia and England. In India, it is practiced only for the members of the armed forces, he said. He said the arguments in favour of this proxy system include this system is practiced in some places globally, a system is here in Bangladesh that lands and other properties can be sold by another person through power of attorney, and there is also a tradition here that the persons with physically-challenged people can vote with the help of others. “This is the only method that the (balloting) can be done in minimum time and in real time,” said the Election Commissioner. Voters in Bangladesh now stand at 123.7 million: CEC He said the Election Commission will arrange a workshop over the three balloting system by April 7 and 8 next with participation of experts including ones from Dhaka University, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and MIST, experts from the electoral system reform commission and EC’s former expert officials and NGOs. “We want to develop a system,” he said. “Later, we want to discuss with political parties and other stakeholders. Then if we see that this is acceptable, then we will go to the system development. Later we will have to go to testing and auditing,” said Md Sanaullah. He said the EC then will have to change the law and will go for a trial run of the system (proxy balloting system). “We hope, although it is a conditional matter … We think we will be able to implement proxy voting on a larger scale and the rest systems on a trial basis,” said the Election Commissioner. He said although there is no actual information about the number of expatriate voters. According to the information the EC gleaned from 44 Bangladeshi missions in 34 foreign countries, the number of expatriates is 13.2 million. “If we assume 70 to 80 percent are voters, then there are 10 million voters. Only those whose names are on the voter list will be able to vote through proxy balloting system,” he added.