Dhaka: The Election Commission has urged expatriate Bangladeshis to submit their postal ballots by January 25 to ensure their votes are counted in the upcoming national election and referendum set for February 12.

According to United News of Bangladesh, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed informed reporters on Tuesday that while the commission has requested votes be posted by January 25, ballots sent later could still be valid if received within the allotted time frame. Ahmed clarified that there is no possibility for extending the deadline but emphasized that ballots arriving on time, even if mailed on January 26, would be accepted.

Expatriate voters will have the opportunity to cast their votes after electoral symbols are allocated on Wednesday, January 21. The Election Commission reports that over 772,500 expatriates have registered for postal voting in the February 12 elections, with postal ballots already distributed to 122 countries.

Saudi Arabia has the highest number of registered expatriate voters at
239,186, followed by Malaysia with 84,292, Qatar with 76,139, and Oman with 56,207. Other countries with significant numbers include the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, the United Kingdom, and the United States, among others.

The Election Commission announced the election schedule on December 11, aiming to conduct the 13th Parliamentary election alongside a referendum on the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order on February 12, 2026.