A project proposal to procure electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be placed in the next meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for approval.
Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal gave the information on Tuesday while briefing reporters after the weekly ECNEC meeting.
The meeting was held at the NEC conference room in Dhaka with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, reports UNB.
The Election Commission has designed a project proposal to procure some 150,000 EVMs at a cost of Tk 38.21 billion and sent it to the Planning Commission for clearance.
"The EVMs (electronic voting machines) may be used in the next general election on a trial basis, but their use depends on the Election Commission's decision," the minister said.
AHM Mustafa Kamal said it will not be possible to release the whole fund for the project at a time. "It'll be released in phases."
He said the EVMs have already been used in local body elections without any controversy.
Mustafa Kama said the function of the ECNEC is to approve the project, not to implement it.
The EC needs some 400,000 machines to arrange the national election fully based on EVMs across the country.
Besides, the Election Commission has already proposed the amendment to the Representation of the People Order incorporating a provision to pave the way for using the electronic machines instead of ballot papers in general elections.