Govt, UNDP sign $ 30.8m electoral database agreement

The Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) yesterday signed an agreement for the implementation of a new development project entitled “Construction of Server Stations for the Electoral Database ”.

The project, jointly funded by the Government of Bangladesh, UK's Department for International Development (DFID) and the Netherlands, aims to further strengthen the electoral system and ensure the sustainability of the voter list with photographs, said a press release.
The total value of the project amounts to $ 30.8 million (approximately Tk 213 crore) with $ 16.9 million (approximately Tk 117 crore) contribution from the Government of Bangladesh, $ 8 million (approximately Tk 55 crore) from the UK 's DFID and $ 5.9 million (approximately Tk 41 crore) from the Netherlands government.
Under the project, 502 permanent centers will be established in upazilas, city corporations, thanas and at the divisional level to maintain and update the existing voter list with photographs on a regular basis.

In addition, the center will serve as points of interaction between the election commission, voters and local representatives from stakeholder organizations, it said.
“I am confident that this project will make a significant contribution to sustaining the achievements of the Bangladesh Election Commission, including the maintenance of the internationally acclaimed photographic voter list.” said UNDP Country Director Stefan Priesner.
The signing of the project comes after the success UNDP and Election Commission have had in implementation of the voter list project that registered more than 81 million voters in just eleven months.