The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh is collaborating with experts to determine a suitable voting system for expatriate Bangladeshis. A workshop is being held to explore the best ways to allow Bangladeshis living abroad to vote in upcoming elections, reports UNB.
The workshop includes experts from Dhaka University (DU), Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), and the Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), alongside officials from government and non-governmental development organizations. At least 80 participants are partaking in the session.
In his opening remarks, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin emphasized the importance of a pilot project before rolling out the final system. "We will first pilot the system on a small scale and then expand it," said Nasir Uddin.
The CEC reiterated the commission's commitment to ensuring the voting rights of expatriates, acknowledging that this task is challenging but essential. "We are focusing on postal, online, and proxy voting systems. After a thorough review, we believe proxy voting may be the most feasible," added the CEC.
Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah pointed out potential challenges with postal and online systems for expatriates, emphasizing that proxy voting could be a viable solution.
The EC aims to implement a method that considers the social and political realities of expatriates, while ensuring a secure, efficient, and accessible voting process. The commission will take the suggestions from the workshop and move forward with necessary steps to build the voting infrastructure.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
