Taimur asks for limited use of EVM
Reiterating his concern over the use of electronic voting machines, Narayanganj City Corporation mayoral candidate Taimur Alam Khandakar yesterday asked the Election Commission to use the machines at two wards instead of the planned nine.
“We are totally against the system as there is a chance of hacking and we requested the Election Commission to cancel the system totally or use it only in two wards,” said Taimur after a hearing held at the EC's Narayanganj office following his complaint.
The EC plans to use the machines in nine out of 27 wards of the city during its first city corporation polls scheduled for October 30.
BNP-backed Taimur said their expert Shama Obayed at the hearing challenged the commission that it is possible to hack the system and she could prove it if a machine is given to her for seven days.
Biswas Lutfor Rahman, returning officer of the EC office in Narayanganj, said the matter is policy related and the decision will have to come from the Election Commission office in Dhaka. “We will submit their prayers to the EC office and it will decide,” he said.
When asked, Taimur said they will continue with their demand till the day of the election but will not quit the race.
Meanwhile, Taimur's rival Selina Hayat Ivy yesterday filed a complaint with the EC Narayanganj office accusing the local administration of being biased.
She said, on October 20 Sub-Inspector Jahirul led by Executive Magistrate Mohammad Mamun Mia prevented her campaign activists and fined them Tk 10,000 for “no reason”.
Ivy in her complaint said she along with around 10 to 12 activists were distributing leaflets among voters, allowed under the electoral code of conduct, but the magistrate brought charges of breaching the code of conduct and fined them.
She said policemen led by a magistrate also snatched her campaign leaflets at Miji Miji area the same day.
She again demanded changes in the local police and admin high ups ahead of the election.
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