A delegation from the National Citizen Party (NCP) met with the Election Commission (EC) on Monday to inquire about the progress of their party’s registration and the implementation of a voting system for expatriate Bangladeshis.
The three-member NCP team, led by Joint Convener Khaled Saifullah and Joint Member Secretary Zahirul Islam Musa, held a meeting with EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed at the commission’s headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Zahirul Islam Musa stated, “As you know, the NCP had applied for registration after fulfilling all necessary criteria. That process is still ongoing. We met with the senior secretary to understand the current status.”
He added that the EC informed them that field-level verifications have been completed, and reports are now being compiled at the commission. “Based on the outcome of those reports, not just for NCP, but for other parties that met the requirements as well, the EC may make a final decision within this month,” Musa said.
Referring to the upcoming national elections, expected in February, Musa noted the urgency of completing the registration process. “Ahead of the election, the Commission plans to hold a series of dialogues with all registered political parties. We discussed how newly registered parties, like ours, will be included in that process.”
On the issue of overseas voting, Musa reiterated the NCP’s long-standing demand for enabling expatriate Bangladeshis to vote. “We asked for an update, and the Commission confirmed that expatriates will be allowed to vote through postal ballots.”
He explained that the postal voting system will also apply to voters residing outside their home constituencies within Bangladesh due to professional or other reasons. “An official app will be launched by the Commission, where eligible voters can register within a set timeframe,” he said.
Once registered, voters will receive their ballot papers ahead of the election. After casting their vote, they will return the ballots by mail to the respective parliamentary constituency, where the votes will be counted along with the main election results, Musa added.
