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Bangladesh's Election Commission has said that the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina and her family members will not be able to vote in the upcoming national elections to be held in February next year, local newspapers reported on Thursday.
"The upcoming parliamentary election will allow both in-country and out-of-country voting. Bangladeshis living abroad will have to register online, and a system is currently being developed for this purpose," Akhtar Ahmed, Senior Secretary of the Bangladesh Election Commission (EC), said on Wednesday. "Expatriates must register online using their NID number--not a passport--to vote. Those with a blocked NID will be unable to complete online registration, while only those able to register with their NID will have the opportunity to vote," he added. "The EC blocked the NIDs of Sheikh Hasina, including 10 members of her family, on February 16," the daily Jugantor reported. "Apart from Sheikh Hasina, those whose NIDs have been suspended are her son Sajib Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul, sister Sheikh Rehana, nieces Tulip Rezwana Siddique and Azmina Siddique, and nephew Radwan Mujib Siddique," the report said. When asked whether Sheikh Hasina will be able to vote from abroad, the EC Secretary said, "Her NID is blocked. So she will not be able to vote." Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country and took refuge in India on August 5 last year in a student-led uprising. An interim government was formed under the leadership of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. Yunus has already announced that elections will be held in February next year. Earlier in August, the Office of the Chief Adviser wrote to the Election Commission of Bangladesh to complete all preparations to hold the National Parliament elections before the start of Ramadan in February 2026, as per a statement from the Chief Adviser's Press Wing. Through this letter, the formalities of the government's request to the Election Commission to organise the elections were completed, it added. In a letter sent to the Chief Election Commissioner, M. Siraj Uddin Mia, Principal Secretary to the Chief Adviser, requested him to take necessary steps to organise free, fair, peaceful, and festive national elections of the expected quality at the specified time, the statement said. (ANI)
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