BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan said on Tuesday that the government should start the process of giving voting rights to Bangladeshis living abroad, even if there are some problems.
He spoke to reporters after attending a seminar called "Development of Voting for Diaspora Bangladeshis," held at the Election Commission Auditorium in Agargaon. The seminar focused on deciding how Bangladeshis living in other countries could vote.
Nazrul Islam said for many years, rich people didn't send much money to the country, but workers in the Middle East sent large amounts of money regularly. Still, these workers were never given proper respect. He said they should be treated as important partners in the country's development by allowing them to vote.
He also said voting should be allowed not only through NID cards but also using passports, because many expatriates don't have NID cards.
Nazrul Islam Khan said BNP supports the Election Commission's plan to give voting rights to expatriates.
He added that BNP had raised this issue many times in the past. He said BNP would agree to whichever method online, postal, or proxy is easiest and most acceptable to all.
He pointed out that there is no proper list showing how many Bangladeshis are living abroad or how many have returned. He said the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and BMET don't have this data. So, before making any final decision, all facts should be carefully reviewed. Nazrul Islam also questioned a presentation at the seminar that claimed 2.9 million Bangladeshis live in India. He said this number was taken from a YouTube video and may not be correct, as there is no official data supporting it.
Nazrul Islam Khan attended the seminar with a three-member BNP team, including Joint Secretary General Syed Emran Saleh Prince.
Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed, and Commissioner Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah were also present.
Different political parties like BNP and Jamaat, senior journalists and Election Commission officials participated among others Nazrul Islam said BNP first suggested giving expatriates voting rights in 2014, during discussions about changing election rules. Later, this issue was included in Khaleda Zia's 2016 reform proposal. BNP also made it part of its 27-point agenda in 2022 and 31-point agenda in 2023.
