The Election Commission or EC plans to procure nearly 2,500 electronic voting machines or EVMs, with an eye on the next elections.
The estimated cost of per EVM is Tk 200,000, which is four times higher than the machine used for the first time in 2010.
After the use of the newly-designed EVM on a trial basis in the Rangpur city polls in December last year, the commission has picked up the new EVMs for the polling stations to enhance voters’ confidence in the free and fair electoral process.
The decision to purchase the new EVMs was taken in a recent meeting of the commission.
Parts will be imported and Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory or BMTF will assemble EVMs, M Haider Ali, a member of EC technical panel, told the media.
“The BMTF also plans to manufacture the EVM parts. Hopefully, they will succeed,” said Ali, a professor of computer science and engineering at Dhaka University.
On EVM pricing, he said the current price of this machine is $3,000 in the international market, but Bangladesh is spending $2,400 per machine.
Ali hoped that the price of the machine might be reduced by half in the days to come once parts are bought in bulk, reports bdnews24.
The commission first used EVMs in a polling station of Rangpur and Chittagong city polls in 2010 with the help of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and BMTF. Later, it was used in Narayanganj and Cumilla city polls and Narsingdi municipal elections.
The move comes amid growing demand from the ruling Awami League, but its arch-rival BNP opposed the use of EVMs.
On credibility of the new machines, Ali said, “The new EVM is much sophisticated than the machine bought previously. To cast vote through the new machine, a voter first needs to go through a verification process by fingerprint or smart national identity card number or voter number. There is no scope for vote rigging in the new system.”
“We are now examining whether new EVMs are technically fit or vulnerable to risks. An international expert group will be invited to check the machines.”
New machines have fresh features, such as voter verification, display of names and symbols of candidates, vote confirmation slip and polling data.
At present, the EC has 1,200 old EVMs. Earlier, it produced 130 EVMs in the first phase, and 400 in the second phase with the help of BUET and finally 700 with the help of BMTF. The commission had spent from Tk 45,000 to Tk 50,000 to produce per EVMs.
The EC has been considering using the new EVMs in the upcoming Gazipur and Khulna city polls scheduled for May 15.
