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Published : 27 Jan 2026, 01:58 AM
The Election Commission (EC) says the distribution of postal ballots nationwide has officially begun.
Speaking at the Nirbachan Bhaban on Monday, EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said ballots are being dispatched to the registered addresses of those who have signed up for postal voting.
This facility is available to government officials on election duty, personnel involved in election management, and registered voters currently in custody.
The commission has decided that for domestic postal voters, the ballots will mirror traditional ones.
They will be constituency-specific and feature the names and symbols of the candidates relevant to each seat.
The results of the general election and the referendum will be announced simultaneously, Akhtar said.
Among those who signed up for postal voting ahead of the Feb 12 election, 761,140 are residing in the country, 6,240 are in custody, while 772,542 are expatriates, according to the EC.
Expatriate voters have been eligible to cast and return their ballots since Jan 21, the date symbols were officially allocated.
The parliamentary election and the referendum are scheduled for Feb 12.
Only postal ballots received by 4:30pm on polling day will be included in the final count.
In a first for the commission, an online application process has been introduced for issuing media accreditation cards and vehicle stickers.
Asadul Haque, public relations assistant director of the EC Secretariat, said interested journalists must submit their applications via the designated portal by Feb 3.
Alongside these digital measures, the EC has issued a special circular aimed at ensuring the safety and cooperation of journalists at polling stations.
The directive stipulates that journalists may gather news without hindrance within 400 yards of a polling centre.
The commission warned that punitive action would be taken against any individual found obstructing media activities.
