President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Wednesday exercised his franchise through postal ballot for Bangladesh’s upcoming general election slated for January 7 next, urging the countrymen to fulfil their civic duty by voting.

‘Let’s vote ourselves and encourage others to cast vote,’ the president told the journalists after casting his vote at the Credential Hall of Bangabhaban in Dhaka.

President’s wife Dr Rebeka Sultana also exercised her voting rights through postal ballot there as they are the voters of their hometown Pabna.

‘Voting is the democratic rights of the people. As a citizen, it is our duty to vote. People give their democratic verdict through casting their respective votes,’ President Shahabuddin said.

Voting is the most acceptable method in selecting leadership in a democratic manner, he also pointed out.

The president hoped that the election will be held in a peaceful and festive environment with the participation of all.

According to the Article 27 of the Representation of the People Order (RPO), the head of the state is able to cast the vote through the postal ballot.

Registered voters, those are imprisoned or in legal custody, Bangladeshi expatriates and polling officers, can exercise their rights to vote through postal ballots in the upcoming general polls as well, according to the Election Commission Secretariat.

Four types of voters, who are unable to go to the polling centers, can exercise their rights to vote through postal ballots. This provision has been introduced since the 9th Jatiya Sangsad Election.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has campaigned to encourage voting through postal ballot in this year’s parliamentary elections.

In an inter-ministerial meeting held recently, the EC directed all concerned, including the Bangladesh mission abroad, to encourage casting vote through the postal ballots.

According to the EC notification, a person, who is interested in exercising the rights to vote, has to apply to the returning officer of his constituency for a postal ballot paper.

The application must contain the voter’s name, postal address and serial number of the voter list, it stated.

The Returning Officers will consider the postal votes received by them within the time limit and declare the final result after counting those votes.

The EC wants to popularize the issue of postal ballot by applying presidential vote.

President’s office secretary Sampad Barua, military secretary Major General SM Salah Uddin Islam, press secretary Md Joynal Abedin and secretary (attached) Md Wahidul Islam Khan were also present on the occasion.