More than 575,000 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 latest update as of Monday morning. The registration process, initially open until December 18, has been extended to December 25 to accommodate more overseas voters.

Among the registered expatriates, 538,808 are men and 36,459 are women. Saudi Arabia accounts for the highest number of registrants at 138,705, followed by Qatar with 52,109, Oman with 38,099, Malaysia with 36,427, the United Arab Emirates with 26,500, and the United States with 24,055 voters. The Election Commission stated that the initiative aims to ensure greater participation of Bangladeshis living abroad in national decision-making.

Officials expect the final registration tally to rise further before the December 25 deadline, marking a milestone in Bangladesh’s effort to integrate its diaspora into the democratic process through digital platforms.