Additional Director General of the health directorate Professor Dr. Nasima Sultana said, election through Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) will increase the risk of being infected with deadly coronavirus. She made the remarks while responding a question of newsmen at the regular briefing of Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) on Friday. Dr. Nasima said, there is a risk if EVM system is used. If the system is used then there must be a risk because multiple people touch the button of the EVM. At the press conference Dr. Nasima Sultana said, we have detected three new coronavirus infected patients. Of them two are male and one is female. They are from different families. Among the infected condition of one person is critical and is admitted in the ICU of a hospital. AH  

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda said, if everybody says that no election will be allowed to hold using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) then we will not do that. He said this while speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural program of two-day long training for Returning Officers, Assistant Returning Officers and other associate officers on the occasion of Dhaka North and South City Corporation elections-2020 at Election Training Institute (ETI) at Agargaon in the capital on Wednesday. About EVM the CEC said, we have survived to use EVM despite many reverse situation. The people who are present here have taken training and obtained work experience on EVM for the last several years. I believe, the voters can cast their votes easily and successfully through using EVMs. Is there any confusion? You, the people who would exercise it, if there is any doubt regarding EVM then you should inform us. If everybody says that election cannot be conducted in a well manner using those, then we will not use EVMs. He said, but we have conducted a number of elections using EVMs. We have succeeded in national parliament election and local elections. We have maintained it because we want that voters can exercise their voting rights. Though most of the political parties including BNP are against using EVM, but some political parties including Awami League are for it. In this ‘for and against’ situation EC has been using EVM in national, city corporations and other local government elections. Before the eleventh national parliament election all the Election Commissioners except Mahbub Talukder took their stand for using EVMs. In the program Election Commissioners Kabita Khanam, Brigadier General (retd.) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury, Rafiqul Islam and Mahbub Talukder were present as the special guests. AH   

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda said, use of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) is very important to stop forgery in election. EVMs will be used to stop filling up ballot boxes with sealed ballot papers night before elections. He said these at a workshop for the training of the trainers on the occasion of fifth upazila council elections at Election Training Institute (ETI) on Friday. The CEC said, we used to take strict measures to prevent forgery in election but sometimes we cannot manage. The situation is deteriorating and the laws are being strict. He said, people are the owners of the country, they will go to cast votes and the responsible persons like we have to ensure that they can go back to their homes safely after casting their votes. The CEC said, efforts of forgery are tried through different unfair processes in the society. To prevent these processes of forgery law and rules are formulated. Irregularity one by one enters into the society and again to prevent that steps are taken. Now we are considering about introducing EVM, then there will be no chance of doing forgery. The CEC said, those who will be responsible for election have no side. Their duty is to conduct the election fairly. Who does which party, who supports which opinion, who is whose relative, whose influence is the most, who bears which political identity- these will not be matter of consideration. The responsibility is to hold the election in a total neutral manner. Election will be transparent and there nothing will be hidden. There is a secret room where voters will cast their votes. Otherwise all the information to conduct election will be open. He also said, election will not be acceptable to all. Election will not be acceptable to the defeated person. It will be acceptable to the winner. You have to watch the matter that there should not be any negligence for this winning and defeating process. AH       

Election Commission (EC) Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed said, Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) will be used from the third phase of upcoming upazila council elections. The elections will be held in five phases.   He said this while replying questions of newsmen at the Nirbachan Bhaban at Agargaon in the capital on Monday. The EC Secretary said, Election Commission planned to use EVM in each phase of upazila elections. But due to delay of rules and regulations formulation the decision was taken later to use EVM in third, fourth and fifth phase. When asked about in how many upazila EVM will be used, he said, it was decided earlier that EVM will be used in upazila sadars. We have still plan to use EVM from third to fifth phase. According to EC declared schedule, the first phase election in 87 upazilas will be held on March 10, second phase elections in 129 upazilas on March 18 and third phase elections in 127 upazilas on March 24. Besides, fourth phase elections will be held on March 31 and fifth phase on July 18. AH      

Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed said, schedule for the Upazila elections will be declared in first week of February and the elections will begin from first week of March. Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) will be used for vote taking in all district Sadar Upazilas. He said these to the newsmen at the Election Commission on Monday. Helal Uddin Ahmed said, in the Upazila elections voting will take place in five phases. EVM will be used in all district Sadar Upazilas. Voting will take place in phases which will begin from first week of March.  He said, voting will begin in phases from the first week of March considering the SSC, HSC examinations and the holy month of Ramadan. The EC Secretary also said that the schedule for the election of reserved women seats in the eleventh national parliament will be declared on February 17. AH 

Election Commission (EC) Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed said, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be used in all the centers of six constituencies in the eleventh national parliament election. He said this to the newsmen at his office on Saturday. Helal Uddin Ahmed said, though six constituencies were finalized but it was not decided yet in which constituencies EVMs will be used. But the constituencies will be in urban areas. He said, the election centers will be selected through randomization. It will be informed on November 28 in which centers EVMs will be used. It is mentionable that the eleventh national parliament election will be held on December 30. In this election process the last date of submitting nomination papers on November 28, scrutinize on December 2 and the last date of nomination withdrawal on December 9. AH

Election Commission (EC) Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed has said that there is a plan to deploy army in those centers where Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) will be used in eleventh national parliament election. He said this to the newsmen at the election commission office at Agargaon in the capital on Saturday. Helal Uddin Ahmed said, army will be deployed to operate the machines in those centers where EVM will be used. Because it is a technical matter and the plan was made considering the technical matter and confidence. He said, army will be stationed in the centers. But no detail discussion was held in this regard. If we request army and if they are agreed then army members will be deployed in those areas where EVM will be used in vote centers. They will be given charge for the centers after providing training. To get confidence plan has been taken to run the EVM centers with army. EC Secretary said, if certain party cannot deliver the list under which alliance they will run for election by Sunday then that party will not be able to participate in election under alliance. Training for Returning Officers will begin from Tuesday. AH     

The Election Commission (EC) has finalized the rules for using EVM in the upcoming eleventh national parliament election. EC Joint Secretary SM Asaduzzaman said that the commission approved the rules at its 38th meeting on Sunday. The adjourned meeting began at 3 pm and lasted for more than one hour. EC finalized the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) rules after four days of issuing the ordinance. Now EC secretariat will issue the gazette after law ministry vetting. Through issuing EVM rules amendment of all kinds of rules are being finalized keeping ahead the eleventh parliament election. After getting the rules the overall matters of using EVM in parliament election is finalized. This technology will be used in parliament election for the first time after 8 years of its use in the local government election. In June 2010 EVM was used at a smaller range in Chattogram City Corporation election. But in 2015 its use was halted. Later EC introduced new EVM with digital facilities. EC said, after getting legal base this technology will be used in a smaller range. Commission will finalize in how many centers it will be used. Chief Election Commissioner already said that centers will be chosen under randomization method. How to use EVM In the voting room of a certain center the designated Polling Officer will do verification of voters one by one. It will be visible to the Polling Agents on the projector attached with the verification process when a voter would be identified as legal according to the database. A token will be given to the voter with Quick Response Code (QR Code) and other information from the machine. The voter will go to the Assistant Presiding Officer with the token and ballot will be issued for three posts of ballot unit in the secret room after scanning the QR Code with the machine. Voter will press the button on the left side of the machine by watching his/her desired candidate and symbol and complete the voting process pressing the green ‘Confirm’ button of the ballot unit. For wrong selection the voter has to press the red ‘Cancel’ button of the ballot unit and select the candidate again. ‘Cancel’ can be select for two times. The third time selected candidate will be counted as the legal vote. AH  

The government has created path for using Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in the next eleventh parliament election. The revised draft of the Representation of the People Order (RPO) was given final approval in principle keeping provision for using EVM in line with using the conventional method of ballot papers. The final approval was given to the draft at the cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at her office on Monday. After the meeting Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said, the revised RPO will be imposed as an ordinance as there is not enough time to pass it after placing in the parliament.  The Cabinet Secretary said, there will be no network system in the EVM. So there will be no chance to hack. There is unnecessary fear in the minds of people regarding EVM. EVM will ensure that nobody will be cheated while casting their votes. He said, Election Commission will fix in how many places EVMs will be used in election. In response to a question of whether voting will be stopped or not due to problem of EVM during election, Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed said, if that type of problem occurs then system for taking votes under manual method will be available in the center. AH  

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda said, use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) in the eleventh national parliament election is depending on Representation of the People Order (RPO) amendment. RPO amendment is under consideration of the government. He said these while replying to the newsmen after EVM exhibition in the district development fair at Sylhet Government Alia Madrassa ground on Friday. The CEC said, EVM will be used after obtaining opinion from all political parties. There is no possibility to use EVM in 300 constituencies in the next election. He said, to increase public awareness over EVM, exhibition is being arranged on it in the 64 districts. He suggested the political party members to visit EVM exhibition. When the election schedule will be declared-answering to such question KM Nurul Huda said, the decision is not yet taken. I hope that free, fair and impartial election will be held with cooperation from all. In the development fair token votes were taken using the EVM in the Election Commission stall. After the voting CEC declared the result. The three day long development fair started on Thursday morning. Deputy Commissioner of Sylhet Numeri Zaman, Police Super Moniruzzaman, Sylhet Regional Election Officer Shamsul Alam and others were present on the occasion. AH