Bangladeshis abroad make history by voting from Saudi Arabia and Gulf

Bangladeshi expatriates, including millions working in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, are able to vote in their home country's elections for the first time using postal ballots. This historic change ends decades of disenfranchisement caused by a 1982 ordinance that required voters to reside in their constituency. The restriction was removed by the Electoral Rolls Act of 2009, finally allowing the large migrant workforce to participate in the democratic process without returning home. Despite the significance of this development for workers who send billions in remittances, initial registration for overseas voting has remained low.