Postal ballot system for Bangladesh's 13^th parliamentary election has sparked controversy before voting begins. Multiple videos circulating online show several individuals counting numerous postal ballots at a residence, with envelopes displaying Bahrain addresses.

BNP raised concerns with Election Commission on Tuesday (January 13), alleging leaders of a ‘special political party’ were handling the ballots. Party representatives met Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin at Agargaon office, where discussions lasted over an hour from 5pm.

Viral video runs 7 minutes 32 seconds, showing people grouped together counting postal ballots. Someone attempts to stop filming, saying videos should not be recorded or shared on Facebook. Another voice warns that widespread sharing could damage reputation and halt postal voting for expatriates in Bahrain.

Fact-checking confirmed the footage was not created using artificial intelligence. Another 27-second video emerged showing similar scenes, which Facebook user Junayen Bin Sad claimed was filmed at a Jamaat member's house in Oman. First video also allegedly links to Jamaat member's residence in Bahrain, though this remains unverified.

Second video mentions Chattogram-3 constituency. Returning Officer Mohammad Zahidul Islam Mina said that authorities learned about the incident overnight. “It happened outside Bangladesh, but we cannot confirm which country. We are investigating”, he said.

Nazrul Islam Khan, BNP Standing Committee member and Election Steering Committee convener, told journalists that Election Commission acknowledged the issue and contacted Bangladesh's ambassador in Bahrain.

"Commission assured us they will investigate further and take appropriate action. They said anyone attempting vote manipulation will have their National Identity Card and voter registration blocked," he said.

BNP also complained about symbol arrangement on postal ballots sent abroad, calling it ‘strategic bias’. Party claims three specific political parties' symbols appear in first line, while BNP's symbol sits in middle where folding obscures it. Election Commission explained arrangement follows alphabetical order of symbol names.

Election Commission approved postal vote registration for 15 lakh 27 thousand 155 voters across 300 constituencies. Among these, over seven lakh 60 thousand are expatriates, while remaining voters registered domestically include nearly 6 lakh government employees, approximately 1 lakh 60 thousand election officials, 10 thousand Ansar-VDP members and over 6 thousand prisoners.

Registration through Postal Vote BD app closed on January 5. This marks first time expatriate Bangladeshis can vote through postal ballots, though limited provisions existed previously. Commission introduced IT-supported postal ballot system after amending election laws.

18 constituencies have over 10 thousand registered postal voters. Feni-3 leads with 16 thousand 93 registrations, followed by Chattogram-15 with 14 thousand 301. District-wise, Cumilla tops with one lakh 12 thousand 90 voters, Dhaka has one lakh eight thousand 755, and Chattogram records 95 thousand 297 registrations.

Salim Ahmad Khan, team leader of Out of Country Voting System and Implementation project, said Commission expects over 90 percent participation.

"In seats where postal votes exceed five thousand, these could determine election outcomes, especially if 70 to 80 percent favour one candidate," he said.

He clarified Bahrain situation, stating that some expatriates collected ballots jointly from postal workers before delivering to individual addresses. After video went viral, Bangladesh embassy intervened and recovered all ballots for proper distribution.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain confirmed investigation underway regarding Bahrain incident. "I have seen it and I have also seen that an investigation has been ordered. Let us see what the results are," he told reporters on Wednesday (January 14).

Former Election Commission Additional Secretary Jesmin Tuli noted that postal votes could influence results in constituencies with 10 thousand or more registrations. Election System Reform Commission member Abdul Alim warned region-specific voting patterns could significantly impact outcomes in close races.

Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retd) Abul Fazl Mohammad Sanaullah previously highlighted global postal ballot wastage rate of 24 percent, meaning roughly one in four ballots fails to reach destination. Experts also expressed concerns about early ballot receipt compromising voting secrecy, though Election Commission said maintaining confidentiality remains each voter's responsibility.

Commission spent approximately TK 54 crore sending postal ballots to expatriates at TK 700 per voter. Nearly three lakh expatriates have received ballots, with remaining deliveries scheduled by 20th January. Domestic voters will receive ballots after symbol allocation on 21st January.

Ekramul Haque Sayem, former president of Reporters Forum for Election and Democracy, warned such incidents could undermine entire election credibility. "In constituencies where 5 thousand or 10 thousand votes determine victory, postal ballots can completely change outcomes. This incident could trigger more problems and question the entire voting process," he said.

Additional concerns emerged as some expatriates reportedly pay extra charges to receive postal ballots despite government bearing official costs, potentially reducing participation rates.