'Proxy voting' is the most effective option to safeguard expatriates' voting rights: EC

The Election Commission (EC) is considering the proxy voting system as the most viable option to uphold expatriates' voting rights.  

Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd) Abul Fazl Md Sanaullah stated, "With limited choices, we must select the most effective solution. If we genuinely want to enable expatriates to vote, we need to adopt either a single approach or a combination of multiple methods."  

He made these remarks during a media briefing this afternoon following a meeting with the heads of missions from OIC member states at the EC building in Agargaon, Dhaka.  

When asked whether proxy voting could undermine trust in the electoral process among expatriates, EC Abul Fazl responded, "If we intend to facilitate large-scale voting for expatriates, proxy voting appears to be the only practical option. While the other two methods can be tested at a pilot level, implementing them broadly may not be feasible."  

"This system is already implemented in India for defense personnel. Additionally, several European Union nations, including France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, have similar arrangements. Postal ballots are no longer a viable option for us, as the time between printing ballot papers and the voting day is too short to facilitate their dispatch, collection, and return for counting," he added.