In what is being described by sections of the Bangladesh Police (BP) as a controversial move by the Bangladesh Election Commission, all members of the 2,30,000-strong police force have reportedly been instructed to use postal ballot papers carrying an eight-digit number corresponding to their BP numbers. The ballot papers were sent to the individual residential addresses of police personnel, according to sources within the force.
The development has triggered strong discontent among a large section of police officers, who fear that their political preferences may no longer remain confidential due to the identification markings on the ballot papers.
BP numbers in the Bangladesh Police serve as unique alphanumeric identification codes assigned to each police personnel. Beginning with the letters “BP” followed by a string of digits, these numbers function similarly to staff identification numbers and are used in official documentation, transfers, and promotions.
Sources said that several ballot papers received by police officers carry an eight-digit number printed at the top right-hand corner. Police personnel are required to mark their preferred electoral symbol and send the ballot to the Election Commission ahead of the February 12 general election.
In addition to the general election ballot, police personnel have also been provided with a separate pink ballot paper to cast their vote in a referendum scheduled to be held on the same day. Police sources claimed that the eight-digit numbers printed on the ballot papers correspond directly to the officers’ BP numbers, raising fears about the secrecy of the voting process.
“This may compromise the confidentiality of our votes, as our identity can potentially be matched with our electoral choice,” a sub-inspector posted at a police station in Dhaka alleged.
According to officers, the postal ballot papers feature electoral symbols arranged in two columns below the identification number, along with the names of contesting candidates. In one such ballot paper reviewed by officers, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) paddy sheaf symbol appeared at the top of the first column, followed by the Jatiya Party (Ershad)’s plough, sunflower symbol representing an independent candidate, bicycle symbol of Jatiya Party (Manju), football symbol of Islami Andolan Bangladesh, motor car symbol of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, motorcycle symbol of an independent candidate, among others.
Officers also noted that the Jamaat-e-Islami’s balance symbol was not listed on the particular ballot paper, suggesting that the document was constituency-specific and that the party was not contesting in that area.
Police personnel have further alleged that they were directed to download a mobile application named Postal Vote BD. According to sources, the app requires officers to mandatorily submit their service details, including BP numbers, and upload educational and professional documents such as certificates.
Some officers also claimed that pressure was being exerted regarding the referendum vote. “Individual superintendents of police and departmental seniors have been urging us to vote ‘Yes’. We also suspect that the app may be designed in a way that favours a ‘Yes’ vote even if ‘No’ is selected,” an officer posted in Jessore district alleged.
Another Dhaka-based officer of inspector rank claimed that senior officials had been sending repeated SMS messages encouraging officers to vote in favour of the referendum proposal.
The Bangladesh Election Commission has not yet issued any official statement regarding these allegations.
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