Nepal, Sri Lanka keen to adopt Bangladesh’s postal voting model

Nepal and Sri Lanka have expressed interest in adopting Bangladesh’s postal voting model, which was used for expatriates and officials and employees engaged in election duties during the 13th national election.
The technology-based ‘IT-Supported Postal Voting System’ has been fully developed in Bangladesh.
According to the Election Commission (EC), a six-member Nepali delegation met Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin on Wednesday and expressed interest in introducing the system in one of Nepal’s provincial elections within the next 18 months.
The Nepali delegation comprised Election Commissioners Rajib Subba and Dr Janaki Kumari Tuladhar, Secretary Krishna Prasad Kapri, Senior Computer Officer Anup Naupane, Deputy Attorney Kamala Kafle and UNDP representative Prabhat Kumar.
The delegation gained first-hand experience of the operational and technical aspects of postal voting on Thursday.
Sri Lanka also expressed interest in the system during a visit by an EC team in September last year.
Election Commission officials have welcomed Nepal and Sri Lanka’s interest, saying that the adoption of the technology 
by another country would make it easier to find sustainable solutions to various technical glitches and errors.
They said this would enhance Bangladesh’s image on the international stage and increase the technology’s acceptability.
Saleem Ahmad Khan, team leader of the EC’s ‘Out of Country Voting System and Implementation’ (OCV-SDI) project, told BSS that the postal voting system was a unique innovation on the global stage.

He said the system, developed entirely in Bangladesh, had considerable global significance.
Saleem Khan also emphasised the need to improve the system by resolving the problems encountered during the election.
Nepali Election Commissioner Rajib said, “In the context of the developing world, this model of Bangladesh is extremely successful. Countries like Bangladesh and Nepal can go far with the technology. We would feel honoured to receive technical support from Bangladesh.”
He said, “A large number of citizens of Bangladesh contribute to the national economy through remittances while staying abroad. Nepal’s context is the same. Therefore, to ensure voting for citizens staying outside the country, we are trying to deeply understand the Bangladesh model.”
He added that, as Bangladesh had already tested the technology, Nepal could avoid mistakes and move forward quickly. He also emphasised the importance of voter education to familiarise Nepali workers in the Gulf region and other countries with digital technology.

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