EC starts enlisting Bangladeshi expatriates in voter list

The Election Commission yesterday started the process of registration of expatriate Bangladeshis to enlist them into voter list and provide them with National Identity Cards.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda inaugurated online registration process for expatriates in Malaysia through a video conference from Nirbachon Bhaban.

“Please be careful while applying. We will not accept applications with  mistakes,” KM Nurul Huda said at the programme. 

He also urged Bangladeshi expatriates not to take any help from brokers while filing the applications.  

Process of enlisting expatriates into the voters’ list cannot begin in absence of certain facilities, Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar said. He said, the relation between expatriates and the country will be stronger after their enlistment to voters list.

Election commissioners Rafiqul Islam, Kabita Khanam and Brigadier General Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury; EC senior secretary Md Alamgir; NID Wing director general Brigadier General Mohammad Sidul Islam and other top officials attended the programme.

Commission sources said the eligible expatriates would be able to register their information through an online web portal. Then the commission would assess the information before taking photos and fingerprints to enlist them into the list.

The EC’s technical team would go there to collect the biometric information from the eligible expatriates, according to sources. 

NID Wing sources said they have taken the steps keeping in mind some problems faced by expatriate Bangladeshis.

They face trouble buying land and property, opening bank accounts, and obtaining driving licence after returning to Bangladesh.

EC will expand the process to other countries inclduing Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and United Kingdom later.

There are about 1.16 crore Bangladeshi expatriates in different countries.