The Election Commission on Monday approved a project involving Tk 8,711 crore to procure Electronic Voting Machines to use them in 150 of 300 parliamentary constituencies in the upcoming general election.
The procurement project will soon be sent to the planning commission for approval, election commissioner Md Alamgir told reporters at a news conference at Nirbachan Bhaban in Dhaka on the day.
‘It was an early decision of the commission to use EVMs in 150 constituencies in the next general election. The 1.5 lakh electronic voting machines that we currently have can be used in highest 70 to 80 seats,’ he said.
‘So, the project was approved to procure and maintain the new EVMs.’
On August 23, the Election Commission decided to use electronic voting machines instead of traditional ballot papers in maximum 150 constituencies out of 300 in the next polls likely to be held late in 2023.
The decision received strong opposition from the BNP and its allies that didn’t join talks with the chief election commissioner that continued throughout the month of July.
The ruling Awami League, however, welcomed the Election Commission decision to use EVMs in the next election.
The EC invited political parties to get their opinion on how elections could be held in a fair manner, and 28 political parties attended the meeting where most of them opposed the idea of EVM use.
Fourteen of 28 parties, including the Jatiya Party, opposed the EVM use in the election while seven parties, including the ruling Awami League, were in favour of it.
Nine other parties including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party that boycotted the dialogue have also continued to oppose the EVM use.
If the EC disregards the opinion of most political parties, then its earlier talks with political parties would turn redundant, according to observers.
