Election Commission (EC) will open its new “Postal Vote BD” mobile application to the public on 16 November, enabling Bangladeshi expatriates to register online to vote by postal ballot in the next parliamentary elections.

Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah disclosed the matter on Wednesday while speaking at the Electoral Training Institute in Agargaon during the inauguration of an election-management course for upazila nirbahi officers. 

Explaining the mechanism, Sanaullah said eligible voters abroad—and inmates eligible for postal ballots—will register via the app. Once verified, a ballot will be mailed to the voter’s registered address and must be returned by post to the relevant returning officer for counting. 

The app is in trial and will be opened to all on 16 November, he added. 

The EC has recently outlined the step-by-step process for expatriate postal voting, including app downloads from official app stores. 

Addressing the same programme, Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarker urged district-level administrators to maintain strict neutrality and strengthen coordination among law enforcement, presiding officers, and central and district monitoring cells to pre-empt crises on polling day. 

He said officials should act with integrity and without fear or favour. 

EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed presided over the session, which was attended by the Chief Election Commissioner and other commissioners. 

Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud cautioned that mobile magistracy must respond in real time, not “after everything is over,” to deter disorder or ballot snatching. 

He also reminded officials that while the Election Commission is the constitutionally mandated authority to conduct elections, its success depends on the cooperation of returning officers and assistant returning officers in the field. 

In recent briefings, he has underscored a zero-tolerance stance on irregularities. 

SMS/