EC considers enrolment in the voter list

The Election Commission (EC) is planning on introducing a voter registration system for non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs).

Though the commission has not fixed any timeline for implementing the initiative, it expects that the voter enrolment process can be launched by this year in some countries.

With over one crore Bangladesh nationals now staying abroad, the EC plans to start the voter enrolment process initially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Malaysia -- the three countries where the largest number of Bangladeshi expatriates reside.

The EC is going to arrange a workshop on February 27 at Bangabandhu International Conference Center to receive suggestions and opinions from stakeholders, particularly the diplomats deployed in Bangladesh missions stationed in the countries that house a larger number of Bangladeshis.

After receiving suggestions, the EC will take final steps in this regard.

"We're trying our best to introduce a voter enrolment system for Bangladeshi expatriates in foreign countries as soon as possible. We've already worked out the technical issues," said Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury.

The commission has taken the initiative to ease the sufferings of the expatriates who find it difficult to be enlisted as voters during their short visit in Bangladesh, he told the news agency.

Participating in dialogues with the EC last year, many political parties suggested that the EC should enlist expatriate Bangladeshis as voters, he said.

He said a workshop will be held on February 27 with around 100 participants including top diplomats from Bangladesh missions overseas, officials at the Expatriates Welfare and Oversees Employment ministry and other agencies concerned.

"We'll take our next steps and shape the modalities after getting suggestions at the workshop," said Shahadat Hossain.

Initially, the commission is preparing four technical teams for the KSA, two for the UAE and one for Malaysia to enrol expatriates as voters with the help of Bangladesh missions. The enrolment will be done in phases in other countries, EC officials said.

They said the voter registration process for the expatriates under a pilot project might start in March or April.

Around 1.15 crore Bangladeshis are estimated to be staying in 157 countries across the world since 1976.

According to data provided by the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), a total of 1,14,64,943 Bangladeshi jobseekers went abroad between 1976 and 2017.

The highest number of them, 33.93 lakh, are staying in the KSA while 23.65 lakh in the UAE, 13.56 lakh in Oman, 8.81 lakh in Malaysia, 6.91 lakh in Singapore, 6.81 lakh in Qatar, 5.89 lakh in Kuwait and 4.10 lakh in Bahrain.

In 2017, a total of 10.09 lakh Bangladeshis went abroad. Of them, 5,51,308 lakh went to the KSA while 99,787 to Malaysia, 89,074 to Oman, 82,012 to Qatar, 49,604 to Kuwait and 40,401 to Singapore.

Some 12 lakh Bangladeshis are expected to go to various countries of the world in the year 2018.