The Election Commission (EC) will not use electronic voting machines (EVMs) in any constituency in the next Jatiya Sangsad (JS) elections, staled for late 2023 or early 2024. Ballot papers and transparent ballot boxes will be used in all 300 constituencies in the next general polls.
We appreciate the decision to not use EVM in the next JS polls as some political parties especially the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) continued opposing the EC's decision, describing EVMs as “magic boxes of vote rigging”.
28 out of 39 registered political parties took part in the dialogue with the EC between July 17 and 31 last year. They made a number of proposals including EVM issue for ensuring a participatory and credible election during the talks.
Nine political parties, including the BNP, skipped the talks. BNP and some political parties turned down the commission’s decision to use EVM in the upcoming national election, saying that such machines can easily be manipulated. BNP leaders said the commission, in which they have no confidence, will manipulate the EVMs. They said people of the country will not accept the use of EVMs in the polls.
Country’s people want
the future government
to be elected through a
participatory, free, fair
and transparent election
They are constantly saying that there is a big conspiracy behind the move to use the machines and the government is directly involved with the plot. But immediately after the EC’s decision on EVM, BNP started saying their party is least bothered about the commission’s decisions to use ballot papers in all 300 seats instead of EVMs in the upcoming polls as their main concern is the election-time government.
Elections will be held under the commission and the government only plays the role of facilitator during time of polls. Not only the ruling AL but also all political parties, including BNP, have the responsibility to extend cooperation in holding a participatory, free and fair election.
If any party boycotts elections or tries to thwart it, then the liability will go to the party making the election non-participatory or unacceptable.
Country’s people want the future government to be elected through a participatory, free, fair and transparent election. Therefore, BNP should get prepared for the upcoming general elections without making any excuse.
