In Bangladesh’s 13th national parliamentary election, a record 5,067 prisoners exercised their voting rights via postal ballots, marking the first instance of incarcerated individuals being allowed to vote in the country’s history. The voting process officially concluded recently, as confirmed by prison officials.
Out of a total of approximately 86,000 inmates across 75 prisons nationwide, 5,990 registered for postal voting. Following the rejection of 380 applications due to errors, 5,610 individuals became eligible voters. Ultimately, 5,067 prisoners cast their votes, while 543 did not participate in the electoral process.
Among the registered voters were 60 high-profile detainees, including 39 political figures, 11 former secretaries, five police officers, and one university lecturer. Officials verified that 56 of these individuals successfully voted.
Md Jannat-ul-Farhad, Assistant Inspector General (Development and Media) of the Prison Directorate, informed The Daily Star that ballot envelopes from various prisons were dispatched to the returning officers in the respective districts.
He mentioned that the disclosure of individual voting details was not permitted. Additionally, prison sources disclosed that former ministers such as Rashed Khan Menon, Hasanul Haq Inu, Junaid Ahmed, and Dipu Moni were part of the registered voters, with Dipu Moni abstaining from voting despite registration.
According to information from the Prison Directorate, the voting process was spread over several days: 1,521 inmates voted on February 3; 988 on February 4; 1,138 on February 5; 420 on February 6; 471 on February 7; 295 on February 8; and 234 on February 9, including 198 female inmates.
The registration process, facilitated through the Election Commission’s mobile application with assistance from prison authorities, spanned three weeks, concluding on January 5 when the prison population stood at around 86,000 individuals.
Jannat-ul-Farhad highlighted the historic nature of the voting initiative while noting limited interest in registration among inmates. He cited reasons such as the belief among many prisoners that they could be released on bail at any time and a lack of national identity cards among a considerable number of long-term inmates.
Prison officials mentioned a lack of interest in registration among many Awami League members and affiliated groups. When questioned about this assertion, Jannat-ul-Farhad stated he was not informed about such concerns.