Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are not going to be used in any of the constituencies in the upcoming 12th National Assembly elections. As a result, election commission said that the voting will be held in all 300 seats of the country through ballot papers. However, the voting of the five city corporations of the country will be done by the Electric Voting Machine (EVM). Apart from this, there will also be installed a CC camera in the center.
These decisions were taken at the 17th meeting of the commission in the conference room of the Election Building of Agargaon in the capital on Monday (April 3). Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal presided over the meeting along with four other commissioners and EC secretaries and senior officials.
After the meeting, Election Commission (EC) Secretary Jahangir Alam told reporters that the Election Commission had decided to use EVMs in maximum 150 seats. But for the repair of EVMs, a sum of Tk. 1,240 crore was requested to the Finance Ministry by the EC. But due to the uncertainty of getting that money, the EC has decided that the next election will be held in 300 seats on transparent ballot papers.
On this day, the meeting discussed the use of EVMs in the National Assembly elections, the election of five city corporations, the policy for journalists or media workers responsible for collecting election news, the approval of the agreement executed with Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory (BMTF) and various other issues.
After the meeting, the Gazipur City Corporation election schedule was announced. According to the announced schedule, the nomination papers for the Gazipur City Corporation elections will be submitted on April 27, and the nomination papers will be selected on April 30. After that, the withdrawal of candidature will be held on May 8, symbol allotment on May 9 and polling will be held on May 25.
Apart from this, Khulna and Barisal City Corporation will be held on June 12 and Sylhet and Rajshahi City Corporation Elections on June 21, confirmed EC.