EC to roll out mobile app for voters
The Election Commission is set to introduce a mobile app today to ensure voters find polls-related information at their fingertips.
Named "Smart Election Management BD", the app, being launched just ahead of the 12th parliamentary polls, will help voters know the location of their polling centres by providing their NID number.
They will also get the names of candidates and an update on the votes cast every two hours on election day.
Speaking to The Daily Star yesterday, Election Commissioner Brig Gen (Retd) Ahsan Habib Khan said, "We will inaugurate the app on Sunday. It will be open to all after the announcement of the schedule for the 12th parliamentary polls.
"The election management system is being connected to 'Smart Bangladesh' through this modern step."
He added that candidates will also benefit from it as they can easily submit the nomination papers from home.
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal and four other election commissioners will join the launch, to be held at EC office in Agargaon.
WHAT'S IN THE APP
Ahsan Habib said the app will help prevent violations of the electoral code of conduct as many candidates come to returning offices with processions to collect or submit nomination papers.
"It will prevent anyone from pressurising any candidate to submit or withdraw their nomination papers."
For the voters, the app will provide the names of their respective constituencies and locations of their designated polling centres.
"They will just have to key in their NID numbers and date of birth," he said.
They will also be able to find candidates' names and affidavits submitted with nomination papers, which will contain financial records, income information, details of their moveable and immoveable assets and other such data.
"The voters will further get the status of election day proceedings and result analyses of current and previous polls," the election commissioner added.
With the app, there will be more transparency in the electoral system, he said, adding that it will also help earn the trust of voters and make election management much simpler.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS
EC officials said that for years, many voters complained about not being sure which polling centre was designated for them as there has been no such mechanism to help in this regard.
Earlier, candidates would go door to door to inform voters about their voter numbers and polling centres.
However, it was observed during the last national polls and some local elections that candidates were not interested in going door to door anymore.
Many of them, especially from the ruling party, were seen setting up camps near polling stations to provide people with voter numbers.
"The app will help voters save time and, in some cases, avoid harassment as they can find their own voter numbers … They will not have to depend on any party."
EC sources said the cost of the app will be over Tk 21 crore.
However, EC Secretary Jahangir Alam said it was estimated to be around Tk 12 crore.
"We needed to buy a server system and other hardware to ensure that one or 1.5 crore people can access the app at the same time."
As per the voters list, there are 11,96,91,633 registered voters across the country.
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