No EVMs in next nat'l election: 39 eminent citizens urge EC

Thirty-nine eminent citizens have urged the Election Commission against using electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the upcoming national election in the country.

They also termed the decision of using EVMs in over 150 parliamentary seats "unreasonable", in a statement sent to the media today (September 6, 2022).

"We think the commission's decision is unreasonable. This will further intensify the political debate and exacerbate the current crisis of confidence on EC. We will once again be in the grip of a failed election, which will plunge us into an extreme crisis as a nation," read the statement.

"We believe that the decision to use EVMs without addressing people's lack of confidence in it will create doubts in the minds of the people about the next election and create another unexpected debate. So we, the following signatories, urge our Election Commission to withdraw the decision to use EVMs in the national elections," it added.

Due to technical limitations and a lack of confidence in voters, many countries of the world are now moving away from the use of EVMs.

Germany, France and the Netherlands, which are technologically advanced, have also stopped using EVMs. Currently, only 13 out of the world's 178 countries are using EVMs in all their elections, the citizens said.

Some of the signatories are Barrister Amir-ul Islam, member of the Constitution Drafting Committee and former minister; Dr Sirajul Islam Chowdhury, emeritus professor, University of Dhaka; M Hafizuddin Khan, Retired Comptroller and Auditor General and former caretaker government adviser; Dr Akbar Ali Khan, Retired cabinet secretary and former caretaker government adviser; Justice Md Abdul Matin, Retired Judge, Appellate Division of the Supreme Court; Dr Zafarullah Chowdhury, Founder, Gonoshasthaya Kendra; Dr M Sakhawat Hossain, Former Election Commissioner; and others.