Postal ballots in Bangladesh elections 2026: a step-by-step guide on how to use it

Discover how to navigate Bangladesh's 2026 postal ballot voting process with this comprehensive step-by-step guide for voters.

The 13th Bangladesh parliamentary elections are set to seal the fate of 2,034 candidates contesting in 350 seats across the country. However, in a first in the independent history of Bangladesh, postal ballots is being introduced in nearly 42,779 polling stations in the country. The move is set to impact the judgement of around 12.77 crore voters in Bangladesh.

Interestingly, the Election Commission of Bangladesh is undertaking the process of international postal ballot services, enabling expatriate Bangladeshis to cast their franchise for the election. To enable postal ballot voting, the apex body has rolled out Postal Vote BD App to further smoothen the process.

According to local media reports, more than 4.2 lakh postal ballot overseas votes have arrived in Bangladesh on Saturday (February 7, 2026). So far, nearly half million expatriate Bangladeshi voters have exercised their franchise. The Election Commission of Bangladesh has sent postal ballots to more than 7.6 lakh overseas.

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Postal voting has also been extended to election officials, government employees posted outside their constituencies, and voters in custody inside Bangladesh. Officials said more than 690,000 domestic voters had been issued postal ballots.

Back in home, over 6.9 lakh voters have been issued postal ballots as of yet, a senior election commission official said.