Gulam Rabbani :
People of the country have already got the result of the elections of the two city corporations of Dhaka. The result of the elections was possible to publish comparatively earlier than previous times as the votes were cast on electronic voting machines (EVMs). But the voters suffered a lot due to the EVM for the time.
It was the first time polls at EVM for a huge number of voters of around 54 lakh. The voters cast their votes for the post of Mayor, Councillor and reserved Woman Councillor. There was no scope to cast fake vote this time because of the EVM. But many voters failed to cast their own votes by themselves. Even though the machine was opened with a fingerprint, many voters were allegedly forced to vote for a specific symbol.
Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda’s fingerprint did not match with the server information when he tried to cast his vote at a Uttara center. The CEC then had to use his National ID card number to vote, as the first major EVM polls were underway at both the city corporations.
The CEC told reporters that he cast his vote at 11:30 am at IES School and College at Uttara. “My fingerprint may not have matched as it was taken eight to nine years back. It could also not match if someone’s fingertips are sweaty or slightly wet,” he added.
“No one will go back home without casting his or her vote even if such a problem arises,” he said, adding that there are three to four ways to cast votes.
Jatiya Oikya Front Convener Dr Kamal Hossain needed 40 minutes time to cast his vote as his fingerprint was not matching in EVM. He cast his vote in the polling station at Viqarunnisa Noon School and College. He expressed his dissatisfaction his dissatisfaction after casting vote yesterday morning.
He said, “It takes half an hour time to find out my voter number and I needed 10 minutes to cast my vote. This is a complex system. It is a matter to see if the other voters can cast their votes with patience.”
Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Convener of Nagorik Oikya, said, “I pressed the button, but no way to understand that in where the vote has been cast. We cannot keep confidence that this vote will be a reflection of the wills of the people.”
BNP Mayoral candidate in Dhaka North City Corporation Tabith Awal’s mother Nasreen Awal went to Manarat International School and College to cast her vote. But she faced problems to cast her vote as the electronic voting machine did not support easily.
It was seen during the visit that the ruling party candidate’s agents were dictating the voters to cast their votes for their candidates. When asked about the dictation, the agent of Mirpur’s Kalshi Islamia High School polling center said that the voter sought help from him. Same scenario was seen in the polling center of Mirpur Kazipara Paramount School and College.
A voter came to the polling station of Motijheel Ideal School and College to cast his vote. After some time he started shouting out at the booth. It was know later that he did everything to cast his vote but he was not allowed to press the button as a person, who was standing beside him, pressed the button and placed the vote. Then he came out and made allegation to the people present in front of the polling station.
In the polling centers of Banashree Ideal School and College and Moghbazar Shere-e-Bangla School and College, voters were prohibited to enter by the law enforcing agencies. Even a councillor candidate of Jatiya Party, Nasiruddin, was also got interrupted to enter the polling center at Moghbazar Shere-e-Bangla School and College. He expressed anger saying that he was forced to leave the station in the face of arms.
After all this sufferings, now a big question will come forward that what is the benefit of spending so much money on EVM?
Amid reservations of opposition political parties and experts, and confusion among many voters, the Election Commission was all set to hold its first major all-EVM polls.
The EC first used EVMs in the Cumilla City Corporation polls in 2012. In the 2015 Rajshahi City Corporation election some machines had stopped working on Election Day, prompting the EC not to use them further. Instead, the EC took up an around Tk 4,000 crore project to buy new EVMs.
In the December 30, 2018 parliamentary polls, the EC used EVMs in six constituencies, including Dhaka-6.
During the commission’s dialogues ahead of the general election, 35 of the 40 registered parties, including the BNP and its allies, opposed the idea of EVM use.
After the December 2018 general polls, new EVMs were used in some polling stations in different city corporation elections, by polls, and upazila polls.
