In a historic first for Bangladesh, prison inmates were granted the unprecedented right to vote in the 13th National Parliamentary Election via postal ballots. However, the initiative saw dismal participation, with a staggering 93% of the country’s approximately 85,000 prisoners, including the Awami League members, opting out entirely.
Only 4,538 inmates cast their votes as of February 7, according to official data from the Prisons Directorate.
The low turnout has sparked widespread speculation and misinformation, particularly claims circulating in some media and social platforms that prominent jailed figures from the former Awami League government—including high-profile detainees like Salman F. Rahman (former adviser to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina), Anisul Haque (former Law Minister), and Zunaid Ahmed Palak—had registered or voted. These assertions have now been firmly debunked by prison authorities, reports the daily Kalbela.
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Assistant Inspector General (Development and Media) of the Prisons Directorate, Md. Jannat-ul-Farhad, explicitly refuted such reports in statements to the media. He confirmed that while 39 VIP inmates had initially registered—including 22 political leaders (such as former ministers Rashed Khan Menon and Hasanul Haq Inu), 11 ex-secretaries, five former police officers, and one university teacher—the authorities have no confirmation on whether they ultimately voted.
Crucially, he stated that figures like Salman F. Rahman, Anisul Haque, and Zunaid Ahmed had not registered at all, directly contradicting viral claims suggesting their participation.
Voting in prisons commenced on February 3 and ran through February 7, with an extension granted to February 8 (Sunday) for the remaining registered inmates. Of the 6,313 initial applications, only 5,940 were deemed valid after rejecting faulty ones. Daily breakdowns show turnout remained modest: 1,521 on February 3, 988 on February 4, 1,138 on February 5, 420 on February 6, and 471 on February 7.
Prison officials cited two primary reasons for the underwhelming response. First, many inmates lack a National ID (NID) card, a prerequisite for registration. Second, some feared that registering for postal voting could jeopardise future opportunities for in-person voting if released on bail before the February 12 general election date—leading them to abstain deliberately.
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Pro-Awami League lawyers and sources within the prison system offered another perspective: A significant portion of current detainees are leaders and activists affiliated with the now-banned Awami League and its affiliate organisations. With the party excluded from the February 12 polls and referendum, many of these inmates reportedly chose not to participate as a form of protest or due to lack of viable options.
Advocate Farjana Yasmin Rakhi, representing over a hundred Awami League-linked accused—including former ICT State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak and Dhaka University Chhatra League leader Tanvir Hasan Saikat—told reporters that the election’s legitimacy is questioned without Awami League involvement, diminishing interest even among ordinary prisoners.
The Prisons Directorate emphasised that the process was facilitated through an online registration app in collaboration with the Election Commission, concluding registrations by January 5. Ballots were issued, sealed by inmates, and forwarded via postal channels to returning officers.
This low prison voter turnout—representing just about 7% of the inmate population—underscores broader apathy or scepticism toward the ongoing electoral exercise, especially amid the political vacuum left by the Awami League’s absence. While the initiative marks a step toward inclusive voting rights, the reality on the ground highlights persistent challenges in engaging incarcerated citizens and dispels exaggerated narratives about mass participation by jailed political heavyweights.
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