More than 223,000 expatriate Bangladeshis have registered to vote in the upcoming 13th National Parliament election and referendum through the ‘Postal Vote BD’ mobile application, according to the Election Commission’s update on December 7. Among the registrants, 203,578 are men and 20,121 are women. Saudi Arabia leads with over 51,000 registered voters, followed by the United States, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

The Election Commission (EC) has urged expatriates to provide accurate local addresses while registering, emphasizing that workplace or acquaintances’ addresses may be used if necessary. The registration deadline has been extended until midnight on December 25, allowing global access to the app. EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed confirmed that in-country postal voting will also be introduced for government officials, detainees, and those working away from home.

The ‘Postal Vote BD’ app, launched on November 18, enables registration from 148 countries. The initiative marks Bangladesh’s first large-scale digital system for overseas postal voting, aiming to expand participation and transparency in the electoral process.