Expatriate Bangladeshi voters to be enrolled

The Election Commission (EC) has decided to enlist the expatriate voters in the electoral roll to ensure their right to franchise. The EC is planning to set up a separate desk in the Bangladesh embassies in foreign countries in this regard."The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and we, the two Election Commissioners (ECs), have agreed to enroll the expatriate voters in the voter list to ensure their right to vote. Now we are thinking on how to enlist them properly," Election Commissioner M Sohul Hussain said while talking to newsmen at his office yesterday.The EC said that a separate desk would be opened in each of the Bangladesh foreign embassies and an official of the embassy would be appointed as Assistant Registration Officer (ARO) there. The ARO will enroll the expatriate Bangladeshi voters of that country but it would be the responsibility of the voters to come to the embassy for their enrollment in the voter list, he added."This desk for enrollment of expatriate Bangladeshi voters will be set up only in those countries where Bangladesh embassy exists and only one desk will be opened in each country, irrespective of whatever the size of the country. The voters may have to endure a bit trouble for this but we hope they will not feel disinterested," Sohul said.The EC said that no new law would be necessary for enlisting the expatriate voters in the electoral roll-only a minor reform in the Representation of People Order, 1972 (RPO, 1972) would be needed for this purpose.Replying to a query of journalists about the process of casting vote by the expatriate voters, the EC said they might cast their votes through the concerned Bangladesh embassies. But those who will live in Bangladesh during elections they will be able to cast their votes from their local address, he added."The Commission is also thinking of online voting system, as many of the would-be expatriate voters have opined in favour of the system but the voting process is yet to be finalised," he said.Sohul said that the Commission has primarily thought about the above-mentioned matters. But all the matters related to franchise of expatriate Bangladeshi voters will be finalised after making discussion with the Home Ministry and Foreign Affairs Ministry, he added.According to Mr Sohul, more or less 12.5 million Bangladeshi people live in different countries of the world and nearly 8 million of them are eligible to become voters. Most of the Bangladeshi people live in the countries of European Union, in USA and in the Middle Eastern countries, he added.The EC said that many expatriate Bangladeshi people have requested the Commission to ban the branches of Bangladesh political parties in foreign lands, as activities of those political branches tarnish the image of the country.