The Election Commission is yet to finalise a voting method for expatriate Bangladeshis in the forthcoming national elections, as technical experts remain divided over the suitability of any single system.
Speaking at a press conference at the media centre of the EC headquarters Nirbachan Bhaban in Agargaon on Wednesday, election commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah said that no single method would be applicable for Bangladesh and that a mixed approach might be required, as all three proposed systems had both strengths and weaknesses.
Earlier, the commission termed proxy voting the most practical option within the limited time available and indicated that they were considering it for the 13th parliamentary elections.
The commission鈥檚 workshop on Tuesday brought together legal, technical and election management experts to evaluate three voting methods for expatriate Bangladeshis鈥攑ostal ballots, an online voting platform and proxy voting.
Representatives from Dhaka University, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Military Institute of Science and Technology, social welfare ministry and the posts and telecommunications ministry were present at the workshop.
At the press conference Abul Fazal said that the commission would form an advisory team comprising the experts who participated in the Tuesday鈥檚 workshop.
The team will weigh the effectiveness and shortcomings of each method and recommend ways to address the weaknesses.
He said that the method would be finalised after completion of the technical team鈥檚 work, enabling the commission to facilitating the expatriate community to cast their votes in the coming elections.
鈥業f all three methods can be implemented, we will introduce all the three,鈥� he said.
Election commission senior secretary Akhtar Ahmed also attended the press conference, among others.