For the first time since independence, Bangladesh will allow postal voting in national elections on February 12. The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh has started coordinating with international postal services to ensure voters can send their ballots on time, which will be counted when in-person voting ends.
Bangladesh Election 2026: Voters need to download the app, create a personal profile and submit verification details. (AFP)The commission announced the move last month as part of efforts to increase voter participation.
Digital platform for conducting postal votingThe postal voting system will operate through a dedicated digital platform known as Postal Vote BD App. The app is designed to facilitate voter registration and verification.
Voters need to download the app, create a personal profile and submit verification details such as passport information and a facial photo. Registered voters are given ballot papers if their applications are approved.
Voters should then send their completed ballots to their respective constituencies in Bangladesh through local postal services.
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How Postal Ballots will be countedUnder the system, ballot papers are first sent to authorized voters.After marking their choice, voters must return the ballot before the deadline.Election officials will verify each ballot to ensure its authenticity. Verified ballots will remain sealed until counting begins.The votes will then be counted either manually or using an electronic system.Registration Window and TimelineTo allow sufficient time for delivery and return of ballots, the EC opened registration for postal voting on November 26, 2025. The registration process closes on January 5 at 11.29 pm.
The timeline was designed to ensure overseas voters’ ballots were not delayed.
How the vote works firstBefore the introduction of postal voting, Bangladeshi citizens mainly voted in person at designated polling stations using paper ballots. This system has been in operation since the independence of the country.
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Although electronic voting machines were tested on a limited scale in some constituencies, paper ballots remained the primary method. As a result, the opportunity for foreign Bangladeshis to participate in the national elections was very limited.
More than 1.2 million Bangladeshis have registered for postal voting, including voters living inside the country and abroad. Fewer than 11,000 applications are under review.
About half of the registered voters are residents of Bangladesh, while the rest are expatriates. Saudi Arabia recorded the highest number of registrations with around 2.6 lakh voters. The United States followed with about 29,000 registrations, while the United Kingdom registered about 28,000.
Other countries with significant participation include Qatar, Malaysia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. Very small numbers were reported from Colombia, Cameroon, India (297 voters) and Pakistan (29), according to EC data.
