Noman Mosharef :
The Election Commission (EC) is contemplating use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in some centres in the upcoming eleventh parliamentary elections.
Besides, EVMs will also be used in every local body polls in the coming days, Election Commission Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed said this recently to a field level officials’ training programme.
The constitutional body has adopted a master plan in this regard despite opposition by the political parties. Although the number is not determined, the Commission has planned to purchase huge numbers of EVMs.
Simultaneously, training of field level officials has already started to impart training on the use the EVMs. The EC also planned to organize EVM fair across the country to introduce EVMs to
common people, sources said. The Election Commission Secretary said, “We will use EVM for the local government elections in the coming days. If we get effective results, then it will be used in the next parliamentary elections.”
However, he said, the Election Commission has not decided yet whether or not the EVM will be used in the national election. The EC will initially decide on the use EVM, he added.
According to EC sources, the Commission has a plan to exchange views with the political parties in this respect. Besides, the issue of Representation of the People’s Order (RPO) amendment is there. And keeping everything in mind, the Election Commission will take decision.
They said, the field level officers will be given training on the use EVM. The training is being organised by the Election Training Institute (ETI). It has already finished training of two batches — upazila and thana election officials.
Gradually, the ETI will provide training to all related officials regarding the use of EVM ahead of the parliamentary elections.
Even the representatives of political parties and candidate’s election agents will be brought under this training. Journalists may also be trained on EVM in order to prevent publication of negative news.
In this context, Election Commissioner Brigadier (retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury said everyone will be given training on EVM step by step. So that wrong idea about it is removed.
Replying to a query, Director General of the ETI Mustafa Faruque said training on EVMs is an ongoing process. Not only targeting the parliamentary elections, but for all the elections, officers should have training in this regard.
EC sources said, a fair was organised recently in Barishal where the Commission got a huge response. There is a plan to organise a fair centrally in Dhaka. The EC will organise these fairs between August and October. For this, it will send two EVM machines to each district. After the Khulna City Corporation on May 15, the EVM was also used at four centres in Gazipur city polls.
After the Barishal, Rajshahi and Sylhet city polls, EVM may be used in any city, upazila or municipality elections.
According to EC, 2535 new machines have been purchased to increase the coverage of EVM in the future. The EC is purchasing EVMs from different countries through Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory (BMTF).
It said, after buying 2535 EVMs initially, preparations are going on for buying more 1500 sets. Before the parliamentary elections, the EC has a plan to buy over 10,000 EVMs. It has a plan to use EVM in 42,000 centers of the Union Parishad. The average price of each EVM is around taka two lakh.
The Commission is going to amend the RPO with a provision to use ballot along with the EVM in the coming parliamentary elections. Earlier, CEC KM Nurul Huda had said that EC is not ready to use EVMs in the national elections. EVMs can be used in elections if political parties and voters agree.
In the dialogue with EC, several political parties, including BNP, have opposed the use of EVMs in the national elections. On the other hand, Awami League-led grand alliance agreed for the use of EVMs.
The EC sources said, voting in Rajshahi, Sylhet and Barishal city corporations will be held on July 30. EVM will be used in 10 voting centres in Barishal and two each in Rajshahi and Sylhet.
In the last Rajshahi city elections, due to mechanical fault in the EVM, prepared by BUET, the entire election process became controversial. ATM Shamsul Huda Commission had first introduced EVM in local body elections with the help of BUET 9in 2010. That time 530 machines of this technology were bought.
In 2011, 700 EVMs, prepared by Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory (BMTF), were bought. They were also not completely free of errors. Shamsul Huda Commission used these EVMs in the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) elections. This technology was also used in Cumilla and Narayanganj city corporations, Tangail Municipality and Narsingdi municipality.
During the tenure of the RakibUddin Commission, EVM was used in the Rajshahi City in 2013. In February last, KM Nurul Huda Commission introduced EVM in Rangpur city corporation elections in six rooms of the center number 141. But it was also not completely faultless.
There were also allegations of slow voting through EVMs and voters’ suffering in Gazipur city polls. There were allegations of polling in one center till evening.
The Election Commission (EC) is contemplating use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in some centres in the upcoming eleventh parliamentary elections.
Besides, EVMs will also be used in every local body polls in the coming days, Election Commission Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed said this recently to a field level officials’ training programme.
The constitutional body has adopted a master plan in this regard despite opposition by the political parties. Although the number is not determined, the Commission has planned to purchase huge numbers of EVMs.
Simultaneously, training of field level officials has already started to impart training on the use the EVMs. The EC also planned to organize EVM fair across the country to introduce EVMs to
common people, sources said. The Election Commission Secretary said, “We will use EVM for the local government elections in the coming days. If we get effective results, then it will be used in the next parliamentary elections.”
However, he said, the Election Commission has not decided yet whether or not the EVM will be used in the national election. The EC will initially decide on the use EVM, he added.
According to EC sources, the Commission has a plan to exchange views with the political parties in this respect. Besides, the issue of Representation of the People’s Order (RPO) amendment is there. And keeping everything in mind, the Election Commission will take decision.
They said, the field level officers will be given training on the use EVM. The training is being organised by the Election Training Institute (ETI). It has already finished training of two batches — upazila and thana election officials.
Gradually, the ETI will provide training to all related officials regarding the use of EVM ahead of the parliamentary elections.
Even the representatives of political parties and candidate’s election agents will be brought under this training. Journalists may also be trained on EVM in order to prevent publication of negative news.
In this context, Election Commissioner Brigadier (retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury said everyone will be given training on EVM step by step. So that wrong idea about it is removed.
Replying to a query, Director General of the ETI Mustafa Faruque said training on EVMs is an ongoing process. Not only targeting the parliamentary elections, but for all the elections, officers should have training in this regard.
EC sources said, a fair was organised recently in Barishal where the Commission got a huge response. There is a plan to organise a fair centrally in Dhaka. The EC will organise these fairs between August and October. For this, it will send two EVM machines to each district. After the Khulna City Corporation on May 15, the EVM was also used at four centres in Gazipur city polls.
After the Barishal, Rajshahi and Sylhet city polls, EVM may be used in any city, upazila or municipality elections.
According to EC, 2535 new machines have been purchased to increase the coverage of EVM in the future. The EC is purchasing EVMs from different countries through Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory (BMTF).
It said, after buying 2535 EVMs initially, preparations are going on for buying more 1500 sets. Before the parliamentary elections, the EC has a plan to buy over 10,000 EVMs. It has a plan to use EVM in 42,000 centers of the Union Parishad. The average price of each EVM is around taka two lakh.
The Commission is going to amend the RPO with a provision to use ballot along with the EVM in the coming parliamentary elections. Earlier, CEC KM Nurul Huda had said that EC is not ready to use EVMs in the national elections. EVMs can be used in elections if political parties and voters agree.
In the dialogue with EC, several political parties, including BNP, have opposed the use of EVMs in the national elections. On the other hand, Awami League-led grand alliance agreed for the use of EVMs.
The EC sources said, voting in Rajshahi, Sylhet and Barishal city corporations will be held on July 30. EVM will be used in 10 voting centres in Barishal and two each in Rajshahi and Sylhet.
In the last Rajshahi city elections, due to mechanical fault in the EVM, prepared by BUET, the entire election process became controversial. ATM Shamsul Huda Commission had first introduced EVM in local body elections with the help of BUET 9in 2010. That time 530 machines of this technology were bought.
In 2011, 700 EVMs, prepared by Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory (BMTF), were bought. They were also not completely free of errors. Shamsul Huda Commission used these EVMs in the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) elections. This technology was also used in Cumilla and Narayanganj city corporations, Tangail Municipality and Narsingdi municipality.
During the tenure of the RakibUddin Commission, EVM was used in the Rajshahi City in 2013. In February last, KM Nurul Huda Commission introduced EVM in Rangpur city corporation elections in six rooms of the center number 141. But it was also not completely faultless.
There were also allegations of slow voting through EVMs and voters’ suffering in Gazipur city polls. There were allegations of polling in one center till evening.
