Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah on Sunday said there is no scope for irregularities in the expatriate voting process, as strict security and monitoring measures are in place.
He made the remarks at a views exchange meeting with the law enforcement cell and digital and observation teams at the Barishal Circuit House in the morning.
Sanaullah said live verification has been made mandatory for expatriate voting, and members of intelligence agencies will be deployed to ensure the security of ballots. He noted that ballots for expatriate voters will contain 119 symbols, which may take comparatively more time to open envelopes and count votes accurately.
He also said that only the presiding officer will be allowed to carry a pen inside polling centres, while all other officials and personnel will use pencils.
The election commissioner said 10 magistrates will be deployed in each constituency on polling day. He added that the commission is especially alert to prevent irregularities through mobile financial services. Several meetings have already been held to stop vote buying and selling, and a specific transaction limit will be set to monitor financial activities.
Sanaullah instructed election officials to avoid accepting any form of hospitality and stressed the importance of countering misinformation and rumours by quickly providing accurate and verified information to the public.
He said necessary steps will be taken to ensure voting rights for elderly, disabled and injured voters. To ensure transparency, CCTV cameras will be installed in all districts and at every polling centre.
On neutrality, Sanaullah said the Election Commission will remain firm on honesty and impartiality and will treat all parties equally, regardless of size. He warned that any official found showing bias will face strict action and said no leniency will be shown in cases of irregularities.
The meeting was chaired by Barishal District Returning Officer Khairul Alam Suman. Superintendent of Police Farzana Islam, among others, was present.
The Election Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, has introduced an IT-supported hybrid postal voting system for the first time. The system combines digital registration with manual balloting and is being used by Bangladeshi expatriates living in more than 120 countries.