Several parties wary of proxy expat voting, BNP to decide in party forum

While the Election Commission (EC) appears to favour proxy voting among the three proposed methods for allowing expatriates to vote, several political parties have raised concerns over the risks involved. BNP, meanwhile, has said it will finalise its stance after internal discussions.

The EC is planning to pilot one of three methods—postal ballots, online voting, or proxy voting—for expatriate Bangladeshis in the upcoming 13th parliamentary election. 

To gather opinion on the voting method, the EC organised a seminar titled "Developing Voting System" at its Agargaon office today, bringing together political parties and stakeholders. 

At least 21 parties, including the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, the National Citizen Party (NCP), and others, participated in the day-long seminar.

All participating parties expressed support for enabling expatriate Bangladeshis to vote in the next national election. However, parties including Jamaat, National Citizen Party, AB Party, and Gono Adhikar Parishad voiced apprehension about the proxy voting method—particularly over concerns related to voter representation and the potential for misuse.

EC has asked all parties to submit written feedback after holding internal discussions by 15 May.

In his closing remarks, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin said, "Your opinions will be taken seriously. We are confident and ready to begin the process. We seek your cooperation—especially from political parties—as we move forward."

BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said his party supports the idea of allowing overseas Bangladeshis to vote in the next election. "However, we will discuss the three proposed methods within the party forum and provide our feedback by 15 May. We hope the final system will be simple, understandable, and widely acceptable," he said.

Khaled Saifullah, joint convener of the National Citizen Party, stressed the importance of trust in the electoral process: "Whether it's online or postal, the method must retain public trust. We remain skeptical about proxy voting."

Matior Rahman Akand, central executive member and publicity secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami, expressed concern over proxy voting: "If a person supports one candidate and their proxy supports another, the voter's will may not be accurately reflected."

Ehtheshamul Haque of the NCP Diaspora Alliance urged the EC to take a firm stance on enforcing a code of conduct for political parties abroad. "If expatriates become more disciplined in following electoral codes, it will make the EC's job easier," he said.