Voting Rights for Nepali Migrants: The Path Shown by the Bangladesh Model

Articles , / Monday, November 24th, 2025

rki.news

By Kareem Bakhsh
Despite years of debate, Nepal has not made concrete progress in ensuring voting rights for Nepalis living abroad. Even the Supreme Court’s clear directives have remained unimplemented for years, and the expectations of migrant Nepalis to exercise their constitutional rights have gradually been reduced to mere hope. In this context, the fact that various Nepali missions abroad are exploring alternative models is an increasingly positive sign.
According to Kumar Rai, Acting Ambassador at the Embassy of Nepal in Qatar, the embassy has been in regular consultation with countries that have implemented overseas voting systems. He said, “We are in continuous dialogue with missions of countries like the Philippines and Bangladesh, which have practical experience with overseas voting. We are carefully studying the legal, technical, and procedural dimensions of their models from multiple angles.”
Identifying a suitable model for Nepal has been placed at the forefront of embassy priorities. “We are pushing forward the task of identifying models that fit Nepal’s context, can be practically implemented, and operated at minimal cost,” said Acting Ambassador Rai. This indicates that Nepali missions are emerging not just as administrative service providers but also as proactive institutions exploring policy-level possibilities.
Bangladesh’s new postal voting system for citizens abroad is evolving as South Asia’s first modern digital model. Through the “Postal Vote BD” mobile application, voter registration, digital verification of documents, and the exchange of ballots through the Universal Postal Union (UPU) have made overseas voting simple, secure, and fully trackable.
Nepali officials note that remote voting models in countries like Bangladesh and the Philippines are key areas of study. Legal frameworks, the role of embassies, digital verification mechanisms, ballot security, and technical integration are being analyzed with priority.
Bangladesh’s model is particularly relevant for Nepal because both countries share similar migrant structures, administrative capacities, institutional challenges, and electoral conditions. Since Nepal already has digital infrastructure such as e-passports and national ID cards functioning practically, preliminary assessments suggest Bangladesh’s postal voting system could be implemented in Nepal with minimal adjustments.
As Acting Ambassador Rai emphasized, the voting rights of Nepalis living abroad should not remain limited to political slogans. The ongoing exploration of practical alternatives at the embassy level could form a foundation for Nepal.
Although Bangladesh’s postal voting system is not yet fully matured, it provides strong assurance that granting overseas voting rights is achievable. What is required is study, coordination, political will, and readiness to adopt a practical model. The exploratory initiatives undertaken by embassies could become a significant step toward fulfilling the long-awaited voting rights of millions of Nepali migrants.
By bringing postal voting to the implementation stage after nine months of study and testing, Bangladesh has proven that overseas voting is practically possible. In Nepal, the lack of institutional preparation and political will has prevented implementation despite decades of discussion.
To translate preliminary embassy studies into a formal state-level process, the government and Election Commission must develop a clear roadmap. Nepal should begin formal G2G or EC-to-EC dialogue with Bangladesh, using its model as a reference, conducting technical tests, and establishing the necessary legal foundations. This would be the most practical first step.
In summary, ensuring voting rights for Nepalis abroad requires moving beyond debate and prioritizing time-bound study, institutional coordination, and phased implementation. Even if it may not be feasible for the upcoming election scheduled for Falgun 21, starting this process can lay the foundation for future elections in which Nepalis abroad can vote safely through verified procedures.