‘No vote’ option to serve as alternative candidate in uncontested elections: Dr Tofail Ahmed
"Despite their vital contributions to the economy, expatriates cannot vote. Efforts are underway to grant voting rights to citizens abroad," he said
Steps are being taken to introduce a 'no vote' option for elections where there will be only one candidate running, Electoral Reform Commission member Dr Tofail Ahmed said today (28 November).
"In the future, even if there is only one candidate, winning will not be possible uncontested. In such cases, 'no vote' option will function as an alternative candidate," he said at a seminar at Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) in Cumilla.
Speaking at the event, he said, "Although expatriates make significant contributions to the national economy through remittances, they cannot vote. We are exploring avenues to extend voting rights to our citizens abroad."
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Tofail, a local government expert who has worked in the field across five decades, stated that steps are being taken to implement postal voting.
"Eligible voters will need to apply beforehand, either online or through the upazila election office. While postal voting is legally recognised in Bangladesh, it is not yet operational. Efforts are underway to strengthen and activate this system," he added.
The seminar was chaired by BARD Director General Saif Uddin Ahmed, with Comilla University Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Masuda Kamal as the keynote speaker.
Masuda Khatun Shefali, member of the Local Government Reform Commission, participated as a special guest.
