Enabling more than 10 million expatriate Bangladeshis to cast their votes in the 13th parliamentary elections has emerged as a significant challenge for the Election Commission (EC).
While the EC is exploring three vital voting methods—proxy, postal, and online—it is currently prioritising proxy voting as the most viable option to engage the large Bangladeshi diaspora spread across the globe.
Facilitating the participation of this sizable expatriate community is considered crucial for the upcoming national election, aligning with the commitment made by Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus.
In his address to the nation on December 16, 2024, the Chief Adviser said this time the government is determined to ensure that expatriate Bangladeshis are able to exercise their right to vote.
"We have heard assurances about this many times in the past. We want to ensure that this is implemented for the first time during the tenure of this government …a reliable system must be made for this,” he said.
Following the commitment of the chief adviser, the EC has formed a committee headed by Election Commissioner Abdul Fazal Md Sanaullah to examine different balloting systems and determine the best way to ensure expatriate Bangladeshis can exercise their voting rights.
Though there are no precise statistics on the exact number of expatriate voters abroad, the Election Commission estimates that approximately 14 million Bangladeshis live in 40 major host countries around the world.
The EC is now exploring the three balloting options—proxy, postal and online— it is leaning strongly toward introduction of the proxy voting system to ensure the participation of a large number of expatriate Bangladeshis in the upcoming election.
Commissioner Sanaullah has recently said they must prioritize the proxy voting system in the next election if they would have to fulfill the expectations outlined by the Chief Adviser (on December 16, 2024). But the final decision regarding the system would depend on consensus among political parties and other stakeholders.
Balloting Systems
A proxy vote is a ballot cast by one person on behalf of another. A postal ballot is sent by post when the voter cannot be present, while an online ballot is cast via the internet.
Regarding the postal system, Sanaullah explained that the committee's findings indicate it is currently ineffective for expatriates. “This is why not a single vote was cast by an expatriate in the 12th parliamentary elections, with only 433 votes cast from within Bangladesh,” he said.
As for the online voting system, the Commissioner said it has not gained widespread popularity in countries like the United States, the Philippines, Estonia, and Mexico. “In our region, few countries like India and Pakistan have piloted online voting systems, but it is not yet a widespread practice,” he added.
Proxy Voting System: A Viable Solution
Sanaullah pointed out that the proxy voting system is already in use in various countries, including Australia and England. In India, it is limited to members of the armed forces.
He emphasised that the proxy system is the most viable method for expatriate voting, as it can be implemented quickly and efficiently. “In Bangladesh, there is already a system where a person can sell land and other properties via power of attorney, and physically-challenged people can vote with assistance from others. This tradition aligns well with the proxy voting system.”
“This is the only method that the (balloting) can be done in minimum time and in real time,” said the Election Commissioner.
To determine the best approach for expatriate voting, the Election Commission plans to hold a workshop on the three balloting systems on April 7 and 8. Experts from Dhaka University, BUET, MIST and NGOs as well as former EC officials will participate in the workshop.
Later, the EC will discuss with political parties and other stakeholders. Then if the EC sees that this is acceptable, then it will go to the system development.
“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 Sanaullah.
Expat Voter Estimate
Though exact data on the number of expatriate voters is unavailable, the EC has gathered information from 44 Bangladeshi missions in 34 foreign countries. The number of expatriates is estimated at 13.2 million. Assuming that 70 to 80 percent of them are eligible voters, there are around 10 million voters.
According to another estimation made by the EC, there are some 14 million expatriate Bangladeshis who are now living in 40 major host countries.
Of them, the highest 4,049,588 expatriate Bangladeshis are living in Saudi Arabia, while 2,371,545 in United Arab Emirates, 1,500,870 in Oman, 1,057,056 in Malaysia, 808,090 in Qatar, 782,657 in Singapore, 628,950 in Kuwait, 410,460 in Bahrain, 167,086 in Lebanon and 180,563 in Jordan.
The 30 other major host countries are Libya, the Maldives, Sudan, South Korea, the UK, Italy, Hong Kong, Egypt, Brunei, Mauritius, Iraq, the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Greece, Spain, Germany, South Africa, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Brazil, China, Indonesia, New Zealand, Russia, Turkey and Cyprus.