Most voters don’t know how to use EVM

Around 90 percent of Rangpur city dwellers still have no knowledge on how to use electronic voting machines (EVM), and many are unaware of the fact that the city election will be held through EVM, said mayoral candidate Mostafizar Rahman Mostafa yesterday.

The Jatiya Party-backed mayoral candidate expressed this concern  when mock voting using EVM was held at all 33 wards in the city. He made the remark after visiting several of the mock-voting centres.

He said such campaigns are not enough to make people aware. "They're absolutely of no use."

Mostafa urged the returning officer to hold mock voting in phases at the wards, but to no avail. It is not possible to make 4.26 lakh voters aware of EVM in two days, he told journalists in Dhap area.

He said he has been urging the Election Commission to hold mock voting from the beginning. Most people still don't know how to use EVM, he said.

This correspondent visited several mock-voting centres yesterday and found them empty.

Visiting Adarsha High School at ward-21 around 2:30pm, it was found that two EVM operators were sitting idle, as the centre remained empty. The number of voters registered with the centre is 1,936. Only nine people visited the centre.

Masud Rana, in-charge of the centre, said announcements were made through loudspeakers, encouraging people to come and cast their vote. The mock voting was closed at 4:00pm.

The same situation prevailed at Lions School and College, a centre in ward-23. The centre has 922 voters. Of them, only five cast their votes till 3:00pm.

Around 3:00pm, one Md Rana cast his mock vote. "It's quite easy and friendly to use." But he mentioned that many did not know that the mock voting was being held there.

Abdul Baten, returning officer of the city election, said the election will be held at all 229 centres on December 27 through EVM. Around 3,500 sets of EVM are ready for holding the election.

Baten said the two-day mock voting will end today.

The number of voters of Rangpur City Corporation is around 4.26 lakh.

Meanwhile, Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik, who visited Rangpur twice since the schedule of the election was declared, said it's not possible to hold a free and fair election through EVM.

Besides, Kazi Habibul Awal, the chief election commissioner, and Rasheda Sultana, election commissioner, who visited Rangpur on December 13 and December 22, respectively, said there is no scope of vote-rigging through EVM; voting will be free and fair through the process.