Bangladesh Polls: EC clarifies how prisoners will cast their votes

The Election Commission (EC) has released comprehensive guidelines allowing voters held in prisons or under legal custody to cast their ballots in the upcoming national election.

Under Rule 10A of the Election Conduct Rules 2008, amended in 2025, prisoners and detainees will be able to exercise their franchise through the In-Country Postal Voting (ICPV) system.

The guidelines, signed by EC Deputy Secretary Mohammad Monir Hossain, were forwarded to the Inspector General of Prisons on Wednesday, according to a handout issued on Thursday.

As per the instructions, voter enrolment for those in prisons or legal custody will be approved by the relevant authorities and completed through a dedicated online portal at https://prisoner.ocv.gov.bd/login. Prison and custody authorities will appoint two representatives to manage the registration process.

Once interested voters are registered, the authorities will send a printed, sealed, and signed list of registered voters to the Election Commission. Simultaneously, the nominated representatives will upload the required voter data in .xls or .csv format to the portal.

Eligible voters in prisons or under legal custody will receive their postal ballot envelopes through the concerned authorities.

Each envelope provided by the EC will include two ballot papers—one for the parliamentary election and another for the referendum—along with detailed voting instructions, a declaration form, and a return envelope addressed to the Returning Officer.

The guidelines also require prison or custody authorities to ensure an appropriate and secure environment for detainees to cast their votes.

The postal ballots will not list candidate names; instead, only the assigned symbols with blank boxes will be printed. To assist voters, authorities will supply the final list of candidates, including names and symbols, for the relevant constituencies.

Voters will mark their choice in the parliamentary election by placing a tick (✓) or cross (×) in the box next to the selected symbol. In the referendum, voters will similarly indicate their preference by marking a tick (✓) or cross (×) beside ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.

Before casting the vote, each voter must complete and sign the declaration form using their name and National Identity Card number. If a voter is unable to sign, the declaration may be attested by another voter.

After voting, the ballot papers must be placed in two separate small envelopes and sealed. These sealed envelopes, along with the signed declaration form, are then to be inserted into the yellow return envelope addressed to the Returning Officer and deposited at the designated collection point within the prison or custody facility.

Once voting concludes, the prison or custody authorities will securely store all postal ballot envelopes and promptly send or deliver them to the nearest post office. Postal officials will then ensure swift delivery to the respective Returning Officers.

No postage fee will be charged for returning the ballot envelopes, as the government will bear the cost, the handout said.