The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh has removed the longstanding passport requirement for expatriates seeking to register as voters, paving the way for thousands of Bangladeshis abroad to secure voting rights.

The change was introduced on Wednesday (20 August) through an amendment to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), signed by Khan Abi Shahanur Khan, Director (Registration and Expatriates) of the EC’s National Identity Registration Wing.

According to the revised rules, expatriates without a passport may now submit a certification from three expatriate Bangladeshi NID-holders in their country of residence to verify their nationality.

Mandatory Documents
Applicants must still provide certain documents, including completed online application Form-2(A), a special information form (for 56 upazilas/thanas in Chattogram Division designated as “special areas”), copy of a valid/expired Bangladeshi passport or foreign passport, online-verified Bangladeshi birth certificate, one passport-sized colour photograph

Additional supporting documents may include copies of parents’ NIDs or birth/death certificates, citizenship or dual nationality certificates (if applicable), educational certificates, driving license or TIN, marriage certificate and spouse’s NID, utility bills, or holding tax receipts.

Submission of the application form, passport copy (if available), birth certificate, photograph, and certification from three NID-holding expatriates has been made mandatory. Other documents can be submitted either directly at the registration centre or through a representative in Bangladesh.

Ongoing voter registration abroad
At present, the EC is operating voter enrolment programmes at 16 stations across nine countries — the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Kuwait, Qatar, Malaysia, Australia, and Canada. Nearly 50,000 applications have already been received from these countries.

SMS/