Postal Polling Portal to Promote Participation
The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh is set to launch a new app on November 16 to facilitate postal voting, EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed announced. The commission is also forming a dedicated cell and running awareness campaigns on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to prevent the spread of misinformation.
Speaking to reporters on October 30 after a meeting with secretaries at the EC office in Agargaon, Dhaka, the secretary said the discussion focused on ensuring accurate information flows to the public while preventing confusion through false information or propaganda. “A cell will also be established by the Election Commission to detect misinformation,” he added.
He further mentioned that the Ministry of Public Administration and Ministry of Home Affairs are working on personnel transfers of civil and police officers, which will be formally communicated after the election schedule is announced.
During the meeting, officials discussed several preparations for the upcoming national parliamentary election, including voter center renovations, formation of polling officer panels, construction of helipads in hilly areas, promotion of election activities through government media, visa facilitation for foreign observers, identification of loan defaulters, budget efficiency for forces, appointments of executive and judicial officers for adherence to codes of conduct, ensuring exams are unaffected, uninterrupted electricity supply, and formation of medical teams.
The secretary also noted that eight political parties have requested a public referendum in November. “We have heard their statements… as you know, two days ago the newspaper headline stated that the government will decide on this matter,” he said.
Regarding concerns about political parties exerting pressure on the EC through frequent visits, he clarified, “Election, political parties, and voters—the three main streams will always communicate with each other, and this does not put the commission under any pressure.”
Earlier, on October 22, during training for Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) at the Election Training Institute, EC Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd.) Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah announced that the Postal Vote BD app would be available for UNOs on November 16. He emphasized the modernization of the postal voting system, noting:
“Previously, postal voting was an ineffective process, but now it has been completely revamped. First, the postal voting application process has been moved online. The app is currently in a trial run, and we hope to make it accessible to everyone on November 16. Ballots used by overseas voters will differ from those in the country. Our ballot will include 116 symbols, including ‘no vote.’ The application process for expatriates will begin even before the election schedule is announced.”
On the subject of expatriate voting, the commissioner added, “In some countries, registration allows voting for years, while in others, it is valid for a specific period or a single election. We have implemented this only for a targeted vote. This special process is already underway. Bangladeshis living anywhere in the world, who possess a national identity card (NID), can register to vote.”
This initiative is expected to streamline postal voting for overseas Bangladeshis, enhance electoral participation, and leverage AI technology to ensure accuracy and transparency in the upcoming elections.
