The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh has registered more than 19,000 expatriates as voters across seven countries through its diplomatic missions, with nearly the same number of applications currently under review.

The information was confirmed by ASM Humayun Kabir, Director General of the EC’s National Identity Registration (NID) wing.

He stated that over 19,000 applications submitted by Bangladeshi nationals abroad have been approved following verification and are being added to the national voter roll.

"This number will continue to rise as voter registration activities among the diaspora remain ongoing," Kabir said.

According to a report compiled by the relevant EC branch, a total of 19,286 applications have been approved so far, with 11,123 applicants having received their National Identity Cards (NIDs).

As of 17 May, a total of 45,184 expatriates had applied for voter registration. Of them, 28,926 individuals completed biometric registration, including fingerprint submission.

The EC also reported that 3,563 applications were rejected after scrutiny, while 21,889 applications are currently under investigation at various upazila offices.

SMS/