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100 pc EVM use from next polls


Published : 16 Jan 2020 09:30 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 07:14 PM

Towards making the country ‘Digital Bangladesh’, the Election Commission (EC) is turning towards 100 percent usage of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). To this end, the EC authorities also have undertaken multi-phased measures to increase faith in and acceptability of EVMs. Although earlier the EVM was used partially in different elections, the EC is now going use the EVM 100 percent in the upcoming parliamentary, by-election and city corporation elections. The EC officials also said, EVMs will be used in all future elections.

The officials also said, as part of increasing faith in and acceptability of the EVM, the EC has already taken various steps for publicity through mass media and social media. EVM-related content will be shown in cinema halls before the shows start. Besides, EVM will be demonstrated at every centre before the election. As part of the publicity, leaflets will also be distributed at all the public places and gatherings and at religious centres.

According to official sources, the EC is now providing training on the EVM to about 46 returning and polling officers. A meeting held on January 15 at the EC office revealed that the EC is now carrying out a programme to train 45,770 polling and presiding officers on casting votes through the EVM, centering the two city corporation elections. Of them, 2,468 are presiding officers, 14,434 assistant presiding officers and 28,868 polling officers.

Besides, a two-day long educational programme will be held for the demonstrators on January 26 and 27. The EC officials said, a total of 34,869 EVMs will be used for the elections in two city corporations--Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC). Of them, 15,692 EVMs will be used for the DSCC and 13,176 for the DNCC while the rest 6,001 EVMs will be used for training and demonstrations before the DCC elections.

Around 5,000 personnel from the armed forces will remain present at the vote centres for technical assistance to the voters and polling and presiding officers. Sources said, these various measures have been taken as there are some confusions over the usage of the EVM while the opposition BNP and some others have also taken a stance against the EVM. They are claiming that the EVM might be used for stealing votes digitally.

Meanwhile, a government message sent through state-owned teletalk to its users on Wednesday claimed, “Since there is no internet or wifi connection, there is no possibility of hacking the machine or stealing votes.”