The newly introduced postal ballot system for expatriate voters has come under intense scrutiny after videos circulated widely on social media showing multiple ballots being counted inside private residences in Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and Saudia Arabia.
The footage has triggered widespread political controversy, raising serious questions about the transparency, security, and credibility of overseas voting ahead of the 13th parliamentary elections.
The viral clips have prompted BNP to approach Election Commission (EC) twice in two days, alleging irregularities and procedural flaws in the preparation and distribution of postal ballots.
The party claims that these weaknesses are benefiting a particular political group while disadvantaging others. EC however, has categorically rejected the allegations, insisting that the system has been designed with multiple layers of verification and that there is no scope for electoral fraud.
EC officials say that from registration to the return of ballots, each voter must pass through three separate verification stages.
They argue that this multi-step process makes manipulation virtually impossible. They also point out that in many Middle Eastern countries, Bangladeshis often live communally, meaning that it is not unusual for multiple ballots to be delivered to the same address.
KM Ali Nawaz, project director of the Overseas Voting System Development and Implementation initiative and additional secretary of EC, told TIMES of Bangladesh that voters must complete two live liveness tests or on-camera face verifications.
The first occurs during registration, and the second after receiving the ballot, when the voter scans the QR code printed on the envelope. This, he said, ensures that no one can cast a vote on behalf of another person.
He added that the final verification is conducted by the returning officers of the relevant constituencies, who use the QR code to confirm whether all required steps have been completed before a ballot is accepted. Any ballot with missing or incorrect information is automatically rejected by the system.
Mamunur Hossain, system analyst and deputy project director at the EC’s ICT wing, said that many expatriates live together abroad, making it natural for multiple ballots to reach the same address.
Once the ballot arrives in the destination country, a notification is sent to the voter’s registered mobile app. The voter must then scan the QR code on the envelope and complete another liveness test to confirm that the ballot has reached the intended recipient.
According to him, ballots, declaration forms, and return envelopes are sent to the address provided during registration. After voting, the voter must place the ballot and a signed declaration form inside the designated return envelope and send it back by post.
Despite these assurances, BNP has reiterated its concerns. Following a meeting with the chief election commissioner on Thursday, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said that the party remains unconvinced about the system’s reliability.
He argued that those involved in designing and implementing the postal ballot process, as well as the EC itself, must provide clear explanations. He claimed the irregularities appeared to be part of a pattern favouring a particular party.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, meanwhile, have denied claims that ballots were found at the home of a party leader in Bahrain.
Jamaat’s Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad said after meeting the CEC that the party has no organisational branches abroad, as countries like Bahrain do not permit foreign political party operations. He dismissed the allegations as an attempt to scapegoat Jamaat.
On claims that Jamaat was being favoured through ballot sequencing, he said symbols are arranged alphabetically and that EC’s explanation shows no special treatment. He also denied accusations of distributing money via bKash.
Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah said at a press briefing that a total of 767,084 postal ballots had been sent to expatriate voters. While most have already reached their destination countries, EC has taken a cautious stance after videos related to distribution went viral.
He said that although a video from Bahrain had surfaced, investigations so far have not found evidence of irregularities.
In that case, confusion arose because a postman was distributing many ballots at once. Bahraini postal authorities have since been instructed not to hand over any ballot without verifying CPR (national ID equivalent).
The Oman video, he said, was genuine and showed a problem arising from multiple voters using the same post box. Oman Post has now been instructed to verify ID cards or passports before handing over ballots, with no exceptions even for spouses.
As for Kuwait, the EC said that no irregularities have been proven so far. Officials believe the confusion stemmed from Bangladeshi workers at Kuwait Post filming the sorting process.
No details were available about the reported video from Saudi Arabia.
The EC has warned that it will not allow the integrity of the electoral process to be compromised. Any proven wrongdoing will result in severe consequences, including blocking national IDs, filing criminal cases, and even repatriation if necessary.
The commission stressed that it will not make any concessions that could damage the country’s image or threaten overseas labour markets.
According to EC data, the dispatch of postal ballots began on December 18. The rollout was initially piloted in select areas before being expanded globally. So far, all 767,084 ballots have been dispatched, and none remain with the commission.
Of these, 707,500 have reached their destination countries, while 59,584 are still in transit. As of now, 140,873 voters have received their ballots and scanned the QR codes.
EC estimates that it takes around 28 days for ballots to be sent, voted, and returned to Bangladesh, followed by another four to five days for them to reach the relevant returning officers.
Separately, the EC said that around 1.5 million expatriate Bangladeshis registered to vote through postal ballots for the 13th parliamentary elections. Of them, approximately 760,000 registered from within Bangladesh, while the rest registered from abroad.
Saudi Arabia has the highest number of expatriate registrants, with around 240,000 voters. Malaysia follows with 84,292. The United Kingdom, the United States, and Italy recorded approximately 32,000, 31,000, and 24,000 registrants respectively.
Under EC guidelines, ballots and return envelopes are sent directly to the addresses provided by voters during registration. After voting, ballots must be returned via post. The EC bears the full cost of both dispatch and return.
Clarifying the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a senior official said that the entire process is handled solely by EC. Voters do not need to contact Bangladeshi missions abroad at any stage.
