Sheikh Hasina and Family Barred From Voting in Upcoming Bangladesh Elections

The Bangladesh Election Commission confirmed that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her relatives are excluded from voting in the national elections scheduled for February 2024. This decision arises from the blocking of their National Identity (NID) cards, rendering online registration for voting impossible, local newspapers reported Thursday.

According to Akhtar Ahmed, Senior Secretary of the Election Commission, expatriate Bangladeshis must register online with their NID to vote. However, those with blocked NIDs, including Sheikh Hasina's family, are ineligible to register. The EC blocked the NIDs of Sheikh Hasina and ten family members on February 16, 2023, reported daily Jugantor.

Sheikh Hasina, along with her family, fled to India last August amidst a student-led uprising. An interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, plans to hold elections next February. The interim administration has requested the Election Commission to ensure timely, fair, and peaceful elections before Ramadan in February 2024.

(With inputs from agencies.)