EC to launch voter registration for expatriates in Japan this month

The Election Commission (EC) has planned to launch voter registration and National Identity Card (NID) issuance programme for Bangladeshi expatriates living in Japan within this month.

Talking to media today, ASM Humayun Kabir, director general of the EC's National Identity Registration Division, said, "We had earlier informed you that it would be possible to launch the voter registration and NID issuance programme in Japan by 15 July. However, due to a technical issue over there, it hasn't started yet. But we are fully prepared." 

He added, "The visas for our officials and staff, who are going there, have already been issued. The only delay is in acquiring a public internal protocol (IP) over there. Getting a private IP is easy, but obtaining a public IP takes some time."

He continued, "We hope to get the public IP by Thursday. If we can get it by then, it will take 10 to 12 days for our personnel to travel. Therefore, we are still optimistic that the process will begin within this month."

According to a letter, signed on 2 July by Md Abdul Momin Sarkar, director (registration and expatriates) of the EC's National Identity Registration Division, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave its consent on 25 May to begin the voter registration and NID issuance programme in Japan. 

Following this, the EC completed preparations to launch the programme by 15 July.

EC officials also said that similar voter registration and NID issuance programmes are already ongoing for expatriates in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Kuwait, Qatar, Malaysia, Australia, and Canada. 

So far, a total of 48,032 expatriates from these countries have applied to become voters. Of them, biometric data has been collected for 29,646 applicants through mission offices, while 17,367 individuals have been approved for voter registration. 

Applications of 3,756 individuals have been rejected.