The Election Commission is considering introducing proxy and online voting as alternatives to postal ballots for overseas voters, as high costs and logistical complexities prompt a reassessment of the system despite its initial success in enabling expatriate participation in the 13th parliamentary election.
While the IT-supported postal ballot system marked a milestone by allowing expatriate Bangladeshis to vote for the first time in significant numbers, election officials say the financial burden and operational challenges make it necessary to explore more sustainable options for future elections. At the same time, the commission is planning to expand postal ballot access domestically to increase voter turnout.
Prior to the parliamentary election, the commission held several consultations with experts and political parties on postal, proxy and online voting mechanisms to ensure voting rights for expatriates. Based on majority opinion, it adopted an IT-supported postal ballot system.
As part of the initiative, an app named “Postal Vote BD” was developed, allowing expatriates, election officials stationed away from their constituencies, government employees posted outside their home areas, and prisoners to register for postal voting.
After registration, ballot papers were manually delivered to voters through the Bangladesh Post Office, and voters returned their completed ballots by mail.
According to EC data, a total of 15,28,131 voters registered for postal voting, including 7,63,233 expatriates. Of them, 12,24,195 voters cast their ballots, and 10,73,497 votes were declared valid.
The commission expects expatriate participation to increase further in future parliamentary elections, which would significantly raise costs if the current postal ballot system remains unchanged.
Officials said an IT-based postal ballot project with an allocation of Tk 49 crore is currently being implemented, of which more than Tk 20 crore has already been spent. The remaining funds will be utilised over the project’s two-year duration.
In addition, each ballot sent abroad cost approximately Tk 700, while ballots for domestic postal voters cost Tk 22 each. Nearly Tk 70 crore was spent on ballot delivery alone, excluding additional costs related to printing ballot papers, envelopes and declaration forms. According to preliminary estimates, the total expenditure on postal voting has already exceeded Tk 100 crore, with further payments pending.
Officials also noted that the inclusion of mandatory voter information in declaration forms attached to postal ballots raised concerns about voting secrecy. As a result, many registered voters ultimately did not cast ballots, even though the ballots had already been printed and dispatched, leading to an estimated Tk 20 crore in additional costs.
In light of these challenges, the commission has instructed officials involved in the postal ballot programme to identify operational difficulties, benefits and shortcomings experienced during the recent election. It is also reviewing alternative voting systems to simplify voting and counting procedures while reducing expenses.
A senior election commissioner, speaking on condition of anonymity, said proxy voting offers a promising option for expatriate voters.
“We have scope to consider proxy voting further. It will reduce costs,” the commissioner said. “We may consider allowing expatriates to authorise family members such as parents, spouses or adult children residing in Bangladesh to vote on their behalf.”
EC is also examining whether secure online voting could be introduced in the future, provided voter confidentiality and system integrity can be ensured.
Introducing such alternative methods would require amendments to the Representation of the People Order (RPO) 2025, officials said, and legal reforms are being considered to enable new voting mechanisms.
At the same time, the commission is planning to expand postal ballot access domestically to increase voter participation. Discussions are underway on whether postal voting could eventually be made available to all eligible voters.
Salim Ahmad Khan, team leader of the OCV-SDI project responsible for expatriate voter registration, said postal ballots could play a key role in improving turnout, noting that voter turnout in the parliamentary election was about 60 percent.
“The remaining 40 percent of voters must also be brought into the voting process. Postal ballots can play an important role in achieving this,” he told TIMES of Bangladesh.
He said many voters, particularly low-income individuals such as rickshaw pullers, are unable to travel long distances to vote due to financial constraints.
“Some voters cannot afford to spend Tk 3,000 to travel home to vote. Postal ballots would allow them to participate,” he said.
Plans are also under consideration to extend postal voting access to senior citizens, persons with disabilities, journalists, private-sector employees and women to make voting more inclusive.
Khan acknowledged the costs involved but said the expenditure on expatriate voting should be viewed in a broader context.
“Each expatriate ballot cost Tk 700, while domestic ballots cost Tk 22. Considering the remittances expatriates send, this is not excessive,” he said.
He added that the commission is continuing to refine the system and study postal voting models used in other countries, while also developing online infrastructure to support future reforms.
