Jamaat demands one week extension for expatriates to exercise their voting rights

The party says that postal ballots have not yet reached many expatriates. Again, the QR code given by expatriates becomes active at 12 midnight Bangladesh time. In this sense, it will be the next day in Western countries including America and England. It will be midnight in the Middle East. The time for them is the 22nd. The 23rd and 24th are Friday and Saturday. These two days are officially closed in all Middle Eastern countries. And Saturday and Sunday, i.e. the 24th and 25th, are closed in all Western countries.

Jamaat-e-Islami has requested the Election Commission to extend the deadline by at least another week, raising the question of how expatriates will exercise their voting rights in this short period of time.

The party's Assistant Secretary General and Head of the Central Media and Publicity Department, Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, made this claim at a regular press briefing at the central office on Friday (January 23) evening.

He said, the last date for the expatriate vote has been set for January 25. An important point is that our expatriates are getting the opportunity to exercise their voting rights for the first time this year in the thirteenth national parliament election, and when we, on behalf of Jamaat-e-Islami, first proposed state reforms in October 2024. The Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami presented it. At that time, this was one of the most important demands we made regarding the voting rights of expatriates. In this continuity, our expatriates have got the opportunity to exercise their voting rights. Their voter registration has been done. Those who are voters will vote.

Zubair said, "But we were very surprised to notice that the last date for their vote was announced on the 25th. The candidacy was withdrawn on the 20th and the candidates received their symbols on the 21st. Even though they received the symbols on the 21st in Bangladesh, you know that in the process of the QR code that was given, they will vote twice, one is the referendum, the other is that they will vote for the relevant candidate."

He said, this QR code is active at midnight Bangladesh time. In this sense, if you go there and go to America, England and other Western countries, it will be the next day. In the Middle East, it will be at midnight. The most surprising thing is that they have time after that, January 22. The 23rd and 24th are Friday and Saturday. That is, today and tomorrow are Friday and Saturday. These two days are officially closed in all Middle Eastern countries. And Saturday and Sunday, that is, the 24th and 25th, are closed in all Western countries.

The Jamaat leader said that they will exercise this right to vote and send it through postal ballots. Due to the government shutdown, voters will not be able to use post offices due to the government shutdown in all countries in the Middle East and Far East.

Zubair said, our community leaders who are in different countries and those who are in Bangladesh have expressed great concern and anxiety. At the same time, they said that in many places the postal vote has not yet reached them. Where the postal vote has not reached, there is another problem, which I mentioned, that the 23rd, 24th and 25th are closed for three days. For this reason, our brothers, the expatriate brothers living in different countries, have contacted those involved in the elections there, and have sent e-mails to the Bangladesh embassies. We have spoken on our behalf. Today, the Jamaat Ameer said these words in the morning.

He said, "They are preparing for the expatriates to exercise their voting rights. They should be given the opportunity to exercise their voting rights. In this regard, the Jamaat Ameer has drawn attention to all issues so that there is no weakness in the Election Commission."

The Jamaat leader said, "We want to tell the Election Commission through you that the matter should be taken very seriously. That our expatriates have been waiting for a long time. They will exercise their right to vote. But even in this situation, many have not received ballot papers. And those who have received them are getting very little time to give them. Due to the closure of these three days on 23, 24, 25, there will be problems in all parts of the Middle East and Far East."

Zubair said, drawing the attention of the Election Commission, they (Election Commission) should think about this. We think they should extend the time a little more. If the time is extended by at least a week, our expatriate brothers and sisters will be able to take effective steps to exercise their voting rights. Those whose postal ballots have not reached will have their postal ballots reached. Since the post offices will be closed on 23, 24, and 25 in different parts of the world, there will be a delay in reaching the postal ballots. Therefore, we are requesting the Election Commission to extend the time by at least another week to give them voting rights. They will take necessary steps in this regard.

Present at the time were Saiful Alam Khan Milon, Jamaat's nominee for Dhaka-12 constituency and supported by 10 parties, Central Office Secretary and Central Working Committee member Abdul Sattar, and former central president of Islami Chhatra Shibir and member of the central media team Zahidur Rahman.