Dhaka, Jan 6 (.) Bangladesh has recorded a surge in online registrations for postal ballots, with more than 1.53 million voters signing up, as the interim government accelerates preparations for the forthcoming national election, placing emphasis on security, voter awareness and participation by the diaspora.
Briefing journalists at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka on Monday, Chief Advisor’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said the scale of the response—particularly from expatriate Bangladeshis—has drawn close international attention.
“This is the first time we are doing this, and the response has been unprecedented. Many countries are closely watching how our diaspora voting model works,” he said.
According to Alam, a total of 1,533,682 voters completed online registration for postal ballots before the deadline expired late Monday.
Of these, 761,140 are voters within the country, largely officials assigned election-related duties, while the remainder are Bangladeshi citizens living overseas.
He noted that globally, countries with established overseas voting systems typically see diaspora participation of around two per cent. “In our very first year, the rate has crossed five per cent, which is remarkable,” he said. Postal ballots are set to become available from January 21, following the publication of the final list of candidates.
On voter outreach, Alam said the government has deployed 10 election caravan buses, each accompanied by 10 vehicles, with plans to double the fleet to cover all 495 upazilas, including remote and island areas. Outreach activities are scheduled to resume on January 9 and continue until January 31.
Security preparations are also advancing, with around 75% personnel from police, the paramilitary Ansar battalion, and the BGB (Border Guard Bangladesh), along with the Coast Guard said to have completed their training.
Training on the use of CCTV systems and body cameras is ongoing and expected to conclude by the end of January.
The home ministry is establishing a central monitoring system, with control rooms planned at upazila, district, divisional and national levels to enable rapid responses to any disruptions.
Alam said the government is also coordinating with the Ministry of Religious Affairs to boost public engagement, enlisting imams and other religious leaders across mosques, temples and churches, alongside nationwide leaflet distribution.
Candidate security, he added, will be provided based on assessed risk, with police authorised to take additional measures where necessary at the local level.
Addressing concerns over the election timeline, Alam said there are 37 days remaining and that preparations are on track. “The confidence of our security forces is now stronger than ever,” he said.
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