Desk Report,
EC begins initial voter registration process in 5 countries including US
The Election Commission (EC) has started the initial process of voter registration and issuing national identity cards in five countries, including the United States.
EC begins initial voter registration process in 5 countries including US
ASM Humayun Kabir, Director General (DG) of the EC’s National Identity Registration Division, gave this information on Tuesday.
Humayun Kabir said, “We have received approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to start the voter registration process in five countries, including the United States. After receiving the approval, we have already started the initial steps to start this process in those countries. We are prepared for this. We need to prepare the manpower and necessary materials. In addition, we need to identify the necessary manpower and train them. We are now starting these works in phases.”
Humayun Kabir further said, “We had earlier told you that in the case of the United States, we had only received permission for Los Angeles. But now we have received permission to start the voter registration process in Washington DC, New York, and other places where we have offices in the United States. New Yorkers (expatriates) were most interested in this. That is where the largest number of Bengalis live.’
Humayun Kabir said, ‘Apart from the United States, we have received permission to start voter registration activities in Oman, Maldives, Jordan and South Africa.’
The DG of the National Identity Registration Division said that so far, a total of 48,080 applications from expatriate voters have been received in 9 countries. Of these, the mission office has taken biometrics of 29,646 people and 17,367 people have been approved for inclusion as voters.
Earlier, on July 9, the EC received the consent of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to start voter registration activities in five countries including the United States. The letter of consent given to the EC, signed by Senior Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shakira Ahmed, said that in view of the letter in this regard, the ministry’s consent has been given to start voter registration and National Identity Card (NID) issuance activities in the United States (Los Angeles), Maldives, Jordan, South Africa and Oman. It has been requested to take further necessary measures in this regard.
