Summary:
- Bangladesh Election Commission’s 2025 draft voter list shows 12.36 crore total voters, with a significant increase of 18.33 lakh new voters, marking a 1.5% growth from the previous year.
- Gender distribution reveals 11.85 lakh new male voters and 6.47 lakh new female voters, with male voters now exceeding females by 5.38 lakh, showing a widening gender gap.
- The EC will conduct door-to-door verification from January 20, with complaints accepted until January 17, before publishing the final list on March 2, 2025 (National Voters’ Day).
- The voter list update comes as interim government plans for national elections between late 2025 and mid-2026, with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin overseeing continued registration efforts.
The Bangladesh Election Commission (EC) unveiled the 2025 draft voter list on January 2, revealing a total of 12.36 crore (123.68 million) registered voters, marking a significant increase of 18.33 lakh (1.83 million) from the previous year.
Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah made the announcement during a press briefing at the Nirbachan Bhaban in Agargaon. The updated list shows a 1.5% growth from last year’s 12.18 crore voters.
The gender distribution in the new registrations includes 11.85 lakh male voters, 6.47 lakh female voters, and 62 transgender persons. The total voter base now comprises 6.33 crore male, 6.03 crore female, and 994 transgender voters. Notably, the gender gap has widened, with male voters now exceeding females by 5.38 lakh, up from 2.44 lakh in the previous year.
To ensure comprehensive coverage, the EC will launch a door-to-door verification campaign starting January 20. Citizens have until January 17 to submit any complaints or corrections before the final list is published on March 2, which is observed as National Voters’ Day.
This voter list update gains additional significance as the interim government’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus recently announced plans to hold the next national elections between late 2025 and mid-2026. “The election can be scheduled between the end of 2025 and the first half of 2026,” Yunus stated in a recent address to the nation.
The EC, under the leadership of Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, has committed to continuing registration efforts even after the list’s finalization to ensure maximum voter inclusion. This update follows the requirements of the Voter List Act, 2009, which mandates annual publication of draft voter lists on January 2.
Source: TBS News
