There is a controversy regarding a new draft voter list in Bangladesh, as around 100,000 Burmese citizens have been registered as voters for the upcoming election that may be held at the end of this year.

Several Bangladesh based newspapers reported that a hundred thousand Burmese Muslims had been included in the draft voter list in six townships of Cox's Bazar District, in the southeast of Bangladesh near Burma.

Officials from the border area admitted that many Burmese Muslim refugees could be included as voters, but they are now checking the lists and have removed the names of many refugees.

One leader from Teknaf Township's Nirbahi office told a Bangladeshi Newspaper that Teknaf and Okia Townships are more vulnerable in this regard as they are both close to the Burmese border.

Since this information has come out, the new voter lists have become a very serious issue in the current political arena in Bangladesh, and political parties are currently engaged in a debate over the lists.

One opposition leader from the Cox's Bazar is alleged that a large number of Burmese citizens were registered, and about 20,000 were dropped as Awami League supporters - a rival opposition party.

Teknaf Township BNP President, Mostaque Ahmed Chowdury, told reporters recently that a small number of Burmese Muslim refugees were eligible to be registered as voters for the next election. However, this number of eligible refugees would not be as large as is claimed by opposition leaders.

According to sources, the number of improperly registered females is greater than that of males.

Bangladesh is a country where there is no national identity card for its citizens. Therefore, the voter lists are very important, and any person whose name is included in the list effectively becomes a citizen of Bangladesh, said a person from Cox's Bazar. #

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