We, the undersigned blog members of the global Non-Resident Bangladeshi (NRB) communities, call upon the Government of Bangladesh to recognize and uphold our democratic right to vote in national elections.  

NRBs have long been a silent pillar of Bangladesh’s development—contributing not only financially, but also politically and morally during moments of national crisis. Our commitment to the nation was undeniable during the historic July 2024 uprising, when the people of Bangladesh overthrew a 15-year dictatorship. From every corner of the world—North America, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and Asia— NRBs mobilized in unprecedented ways to support the people’s movement and weaken the regime’s grip on power.

NRB communities across the world called for a global remittance shutdown. This action created immense pressure on the regime, forcing them to restore internet access and hold press conferences, urging the NRB community to resume the flow of remittance.  

While the regime began killing protesters in broad daylight using the puppet police force, RAB, BGB, and some loyalist Army members, a group of NRBs in Australia were the first to file a communique against the Hasina regime at the International Criminal Court in 1st of August 2024 for Crimes Against Humanity. This news acted as a deterrent and added further pressure in reducing the number of killings by the security forces.

During the internet blackout imposed by the fascist regime, NRB-run blog sites across the world kept campaigning in support of the uprising. They fought back against disinformation spread by Awami League online agents, documented and shared news of the atrocities, and helped uniting the country behind the student leaders of the July–August Revolution.

Social media was the lifeblood of the revolution, and NRBs were a powerful political voice on these platforms. In the United States, NRBs worked together to share evidence of the brutal massacres with a bipartisan group of Congress members and senators.  

This led to a powerful statement condemning the regime’s mass killings. The statement helped draw global attention to Bangladesh and broke the morale of the fascist state apparatus.

  

After student leaders announced the March to Dhaka program, a NRB professor at Yale University, fearing a violent crackdown, persuaded the director of the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab to monitor areas around Gonobhaban using high-resolution Maxar satellite imagery. This was done to document any potential human rights violations. It was later confirmed that security force commanders, aware of Maxar’s success in documenting war crimes in Ukraine, were deeply alarmed by this move.  

These are not isolated acts. They reflect the political maturity, commitment, and capacity of the NRB community to participate meaningfully in Bangladesh’s democratic future.

Non-resident Bangladeshis are a vital financial pillar for Bangladesh.   After the interim government was sworn in August 2024, remittance flow to Bangladesh skyrocketed with a 23% increase from the previous year. Forecasts suggest that this fiscal year will break all records, reaching $30 billion in remittances.  

Despite our historic contributions, NRBs are still denied their right to vote in Bangladeshi elections. This is unacceptable. We demand the immediate implementation of secure and accessible voting methods for NRBs, including:

a) In-person voting at embassies and consulates 


b) Secure online or digital voting systems


c) Secure postal ballot systems 


We explicitly reject any form of proxy voting, which is vulnerable to manipulation and corruption by political actors abroad.     The interim government has acknowledged the importance of NRBs by appealing to us for increased remittance support. We have responded generously.  

Now it is time for the government to respond in kind—by ensuring that we, as citizens, are granted the same political rights as those residing within the country.  

Our message is simple:  Give us our voting rights. Give us the right to choose honest and hardworking leaders for Bangladesh. We have stood with Bangladesh in its darkest hours. Now stand with us. Let our voices be heard. It would be a grave injustice to keep us out of the electoral process.

      

Petitioners:  

1) Free Bangladesh - Global NRB  Freedom Fighters’ Network

 2) গণতান্ত্রিক বাংলাদেশ নেটওয়ার্ক

3) Actions, Events and Discussion - Red July Revolution - AU

4) Anti-Awami Fascism Coalition

5) NCP Diaspora Alliance