Bangladesh bars ousted leader Hasina, her family from voting in next elections

This August 6, 2024 photo shows a mural of ousted Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina vandalized by protesters in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (Photo/Reuters)

Ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and nine of her family members cannot cast votes in the next election because their national identity cards (NIDs) have been blocked, an official said on Wednesday.

There will be in-country and out-of-country voting in the next parliamentary election in February. Those who are abroad will register online and cast votes through a postal facility for the first time. A system is being developed to facilitate votes from abroad.

But Bangladeshis abroad cannot cast votes if their NIDs are blocked, Election Commission (EC) Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed told reporters at the agency’s headquarters in Dhaka.

The EC blocked the NIDs for Hasina and her family members following a government directive in April.

Ahmed said that to vote from abroad, one has to register online using an NID number. A passport is not sufficient, but an NID will be mandatory. “Only those who register with NID will get this opportunity,” he explained.

He said Hasina and her family members “will not be able to vote” in the next election.

Hasina has been in exile in India since her government was ousted in a popular uprising on August 5, 2024. All of her family members are also staying in other countries, including in the US and the UK.

A UN report estimated 1,400 people were killed in the uprising. Hasina is facing several cases in Bangladesh, including mass killing charges.

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Source: TRT