The government has ordered an inquiry into an alleged irregularity involving postal ballots cast by Bangladeshi expatriates in Bahrain, after a video showing ballot counting inside a private residence went viral on social media.
The footage, which has also been reported by national media outlets, shows several individuals counting postal ballots for Bangladesh’s 13th parliamentary election inside the residence of a Jamaat-e-Islami leader.
The envelopes visible in the video reportedly bear addresses in Bahrain, indicating that the ballots were sent by expatriate voters.
Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain confirmed on Wednesday that the government is aware of the viral photos and videos and has directed the relevant authorities to investigate the matter thoroughly.
Speaking to journalists at the foreign ministry, he said the inquiry would examine the circumstances surrounding the recovery and handling of the postal ballots and determine whether any wrongdoing occurred.
“This is the first time Bangladesh has undertaken a postal ballot process on such a large scale,” the adviser said, describing the reported incident as part of the “teething troubles” associated with introducing a new electoral mechanism.
He noted that while the system aims to broaden participation for overseas voters, attempts by political actors to exploit procedural gaps cannot be ruled out in the early stages.
Touhid Hossain pointed out that the scale of the postal voting initiative is unprecedented for Bangladesh.
“If we compare it with a country like India, which handled around 1.5 million postal ballots, the number involved in Bangladesh is also significant,” he said, underscoring the logistical challenges of administering such a process for the first time.
Clarifying the role of Bangladesh missions abroad, the foreign adviser said their involvement in the postal voting process is limited. “The ballots are meant to be delivered directly to individual voters. After casting their votes, voters send the ballots back by post.
The missions do not have a heavy operational role in this exchange,” he explained.
He reiterated that the government would not tolerate any abuse of the system. “Any known misuse will be investigated. Our objective is to ensure that the postal ballot mechanism is not exploited by individuals who are not acting in good faith,” he said.
Postal voting was introduced to allow Bangladeshi citizens living abroad to participate more easily in national elections. However, the Bahrain incident has raised concerns about the integrity and security of the process, prompting calls for stronger safeguards and clearer guidelines.
