An election commissioner has strongly opposed the use of electronic voting machine (EVM) in the upcoming national election saying “it alone might plunge the polls into controversy”.

Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukder placed the opinion in written form today when he walked out of a key meeting to amend the charter of Representation of People Order (RPO) to incorporate the use of EVMs in the upcoming parliamentary election.

Just four months ahead of the national election, the Election Commission has drawn up plans to use EVMs in several constituencies, a move that has drawn criticism from parties.

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Hasty EVM plan for next JS polls

Today, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda led a meeting with his commissioners at the commission’s Agargaon office for amending the RPO to implement the decision.

Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukder walked out of the meeting 20 minutes after it began around 11:10am, placing a note of dissent and clarifying his position.

The Daily Star has obtained a copy of his note of dissent; where he said that he does not support the commission’s move to amend RPO and differs with the commission’s decision.

In the note, he wrote that he is not against the technology, but that there are two big gaps in implementation of the technology – lack of trained manpower to handle the technology and the distrust of the people on its use.

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Don’t use EVM in JS polls, BNP writes to CEC

“I am doubtful that the commission can complete necessary training in the runup to the elections. Also, there has been some untoward incidents with the EVM when it was used during the previous city corporation elections,” he wrote.

“There have been allegations that vote rigging has taken place with EVMs,” he said. “The use of EVM alone can plunge the national elections into controversy.”

It is to be noted that the 11^th parliamentary elections are likely to be held in December, according to what the commission has said.

Last reported, the meeting of the commissioners was adjourned until 3:00pm.

The next parliamentary election will be held in time in a festive atmosphere, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said yesterday.

Those who failed to depoliticise the country during 1/11 are the ones who are saying that elections would not be held, the minister added.

Quader, also the general secretary of ruling Awami League, said this in response to a query by journalists while he was speaking at the inaugural programme of Janmashtami procession in Dhaka's Palashi area.

“The next parliamentary session will be the last and after this no parliament member will have any official power. There is no question regarding this,” said Quader, who was the chief guest at the rally.

Quader also warned the Hindu community not to get trapped in the attempt to create communal polarisation in the name of national unity.

He further reminded the Hindu community of the 2001 period when “BNP-led communal forces came into power” and said the situation will be worse if they come back to power.

Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon inaugurated the Janmasthami procession. Among others, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia, Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad President Milon Kanti Datta, and its General Secretary Nirmal Kumar Chatterjee also spoke at the programme.

Promises of further development work are Awami League contestants' election mantra in Khulna while the BNP candidates are pledging “restoration of democracy”.

BNP aspirants are vocal about freeing party Chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail and giving people “respite from the repressive government”.

They have also promised to “save” the state-owned banks.

Sheikh Salauddin Jewel, AL candidate in Khulna-2 (Sadar and Sonadanga), claimed that his party had carried out massive development work in Khulna.

“Just half a month ago, the Khulna modern railway station was opened, meeting a long-time demand of the people of Khulna,” he told this newspaper.

Jewel promised that if elected, the waterlogging problem in the city would be addressed by recovering grabbed canals. He also promised employment opportunities, war on drugs, and construction and renovation of parks.

Akhteruzzaman Babu, AL candidate in Khulna-6 (Paikgacha-Koyra), said, “Development projects will continue if the people vote AL candidates to power.”

He promised that sustainable dykes would be built to prevent river erosion, a major problem faced by the residents of Paikgacha and Koyra.

AL's Abdus Salam Murshedi in Khulna-4 (Rupsha-Terokhada-Dighalia) promised a hanging bridge over the Bhairab river for smooth journeys from upazilas to Khulna city.

Begum Monnujan Sufian, AL contender in Khulna-3 (Khalishpur-Daulatpur-Khan Jahan Ali), assured implementation of wage commission recommendations for over 24,000 people working in the seven state-owned jute mills in Khulna.

BNP candidate in Khulna-2 Nazrul Islam Monju told The Daily Star that his party had been trying for years to establish people's voting rights and get rid of “autocratic rulers”.

He pledged to eliminate corruption and terrorism and recover “Tk 22,000 crore looted from the state-owned banks”.

BNP aspirant in Khulna-3 Rokibul Islam Bokul said if elected, he would develop Khalishpur and Daulatpur industrial zones to create employment opportunities.

He said he wanted to reopen mills and factories in the area that had been shut down, prioritise the IT sector, ensure medical services and develop roads in his area.

“For youths, I will set up free Wifi zones in parks and other crowded places,” he added.

Azizul Bari Helal, BNP contestant in Khulna-4, said his campaign was focused mainly on getting Khaleda released, restoring democracy, and putting an end to the “misrule of the present government”.

Mia Golam Porwar of Khulna-5 said he was seeking votes with the promises to save people from the “repression of the AL” and harassment like filing of false cases and arbitrary arrests.

The BNP candidate is also highlighting success stories of when he was a lawmaker in the constituency.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda yesterday said it is quite natural that there would be some concern among the political parties about the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs).

“Concern remains among the people about any new technology and its uses. As the EVM is a new technology and the political parties don't know about it, it is quite natural that there would be some concern among them about the use of the machine,” he said.

The CEC was addressing a workshop on EVM at the Election Training Institute in the capital's Agargaon.

Huda said the use of EVM in the upcoming national election would depend on enactment of law, training of polls officials and acceptance of all stakeholders.

If the government brings in necessary laws and a congenial atmosphere is created, then the EC will think about using EVMs in some constituencies, he added.

Talking to journalists on Sunday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said EVMs should not be imposed hurriedly as the machines need to be introduced on a limited scale in national elections.

“Many countries have the EVM system. I was always and am still in favour of it. Yes, it's right that it shouldn't be imposed hastily as it's a matter of practice. We'll have to examine it,” she said while addressing a press conference at the Gono Bhaban.

About the purchase of EVMs, the CEC yesterday said the government and the finance ministry would look into the matter as the EC didn't have any fund for this purpose.

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EVM steam off

Huda further said the commission faces many difficulties in using ballot papers under the existing manual voting system as it needs to use many documents and tools.

On August 30, the EC decided to send a proposal to the government for amending the electoral laws so it can use EVMs in the national polls, likely to be held in late December.

The EC made the decision at a six-hour meeting, chaired by the CEC.

The decision came two days after EC Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed said they were planning to use EVMs in some 100 out of the 300 constituencies.

With multiple aspirant candidates already campaigning hard in almost all constituencies, Awami League President Sheikh Hasina last night issued a tough warning to those looking to contest the election as rebels.

“Once a rebel, forever a rebel,” three sources quoted Hasina as telling at a joint meeting of the party's central working committee, advisory council and the AL Parliamentary Party at the Gono Bhaban.

If anyone goes against the party decision to run in the election, they will be expelled from the party for life, the sources added, quoting the prime minister.

Hasina also asked her party leaders to throw their weight behind the party-nominated candidates in the upcoming election.

The party may change its candidate even on the last date of nomination withdrawal. Party leaders must accept that decision and demonstrate a mentality of sacrifice, she told the meeting.

Losing the election will mean dangerous consequences for AL leaders, she warned, asking them to keep that in mind and work together to avoid such consequences.

In almost each of the 300 constituencies, there are four, five or even more aspirants. This has caused a major headache for the party high-ups already, as multiple candidates in the same constituency could affect the election results.

In almost all local government elections in the last 10 years, dissidents were the main problem for the party. In many places, AL candidates lost because of their party rivals.

Under the AL constitution, leaders can be expelled for running against party candidates. Despite the threat, however, party rebels did exactly that in recent years.

More than a dozen AL dissidents won in the January 5, 2014, national election that was boycotted by major political parties. One of them even beat an AL presidium member. But the party did not take any disciplinary action against the rebels.

Intra-party conflicts remain a thorny issue for the party. Over the last four years, leaders of the AL and its affiliated organisations clashed with each other, often violently.

At least 100 people were killed and 8,690 injured in 634 such incidents, according to Ain o Salish Kendra, a leading rights organisation.

At the meeting, Hasina also asked her party leaders not to criticise Hefajat-e Islam, sources said.

Hefajat and Jamaat-e-Islami are not the same thing and they should not be mixed up, she said, asking the party leaders to develop relations with Islamic parties before the election.

The meeting also formed 15 committees to oversee party activities for the national election. A separate core committee with presidium and advisory council members was formed to monitor the activities of these 15 committees. PM's son and her ICT Affairs adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy is also in the core

Hasina said the party was yet to give green signal to any candidate for the election. 

She also alleged that Jatiya Oikyafront, the new alliance of BNP and several other parties, was trying to make the election questionable and controversial.

She instructed her party-men to remain watchful of Oikyafront's activities.

At the end of the meeting, many party leaders sought her blessings, sources said. 

At this, Hasina said she gave them her blessings but not nomination. She also asked them not to publicise the pictures of the meeting to claim that they were given nomination, according to the sources.

The meeting began with Hasina expressing her optimism about AL's victory, saying pro-liberation forces would remain in power during the golden jubilee celebrations of the country's independence, reports BSS.

She said the golden jubilee of independence would not be celebrated properly if the pro-liberation forces were not in office. “The Pakistan-lovers will not celebrate it. It's a reality.”

Blasting those who do not see Bangladesh's progress, Hasina said one of the leaders who formed Jatiya Oikyafront commented that Pakistan achieved more development than Bangladesh.

“He should be sent to Pakistan to see the actual situation there,” she said.

Talking about Khaleda Zia, the PM said the BNP chief was in jail for embezzling orphans' money, not for any political reason, reports UNB.

About the new alliance, the PM said Oikyafront leaders alleged that the government did not allow them to hold any rally, but in reality they are holding rallies.

"I told the authorities concerned that democracy prevails in the country. Let them hold as many meetings as they want," she said.

About the demand for an election-time neutral government, the AL chief said as per the High Court verdict, no unelected government is allowed to come to power.

"How do the great lawyers demand such a government after such a verdict? Why are they demanding formation of another government for the election purpose? Why is this demand? How do they press for it?" she asked.

Hasina questioned the intention of the Oikyafront leaders, saying, “Whether they want election or something else is the big question.”