Election Commissioner (EC) Brig. Gen. (retd) Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah. File Photo

DHAKA, Sept 24, 2025 (BSS) - Election Commissioner Brigadier General Abul 
Fazal Md. Sanaullah (Retd.) has said that the registration process for out-
of-country voters will start before the announcement of the 13th National 
Parliament election schedule.

He shared it during an online view-exchange meeting with expatriate 
Bangladeshis, organised by Bangladesh High Commission in London.

Sanaullah stated that expatriates will not incur any charges for voting, 
though the Election Commission will spend approximately Taka 700 per vote, 
covering transportation and other costs. 

Voter registration will be open to those with a Bangladeshi National ID 
(NID), including smart NID holders and those with biometric registration.

The out-of-country voting registration app will launch in mid-November, 
allowing voters to register globally. 

The registration period will last 7-10 days per region, with additional days 
for those who miss the deadline. 

Sanaullah noted that expatriate voting presents challenges, as global 
registration rates are low, citing India's experience where only 2,900 out of 
119,000 registered overseas voters actually voted.

He also mentioned that NID services have been launched in several countries, 
including the UK, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and others, with plans to 
expand to the US later this year.

Expatriates participating in the meeting requested easier access to NID and 
voter registration services.