BNP won’t accept EVM use in election: Rizvi

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Sunday said it will not accept the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the 11th parliamentary elections as it can create a scope for 'digital vote rigging', reports UNB.

"We've come to know from the media reports that the election commission has taken a move to hurriedly buy 1.5 lakh EVMs. It's in no way possible to hold a fair election using the EVMS," said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

Speaking at a press conference at BNP's Naya Paltan central office, he further said, "People have no confidence in the EVM as it's possible to indulge in digital vote rigging through such machine. We won't allow the commission to use the EVMs in the next polls."

The BNP leader also warned that people are ready to foil any evil attempt of using the EVM in the general election.

He said chief election commissioner KM Nurul Huda repeatedly said the EVM will not be used in the next polls if all parties don not want it.

"He also gave some assurance during his address to the nation. The statement of a head of a constitutional body is like a commitment to people."

Rizvi alleged that the CEC is now taking the initiative to buy the EVMs backing off from his commitment. "It's completely a deception with people."

He alleged that the CEC has taken the step to help the ruling party manipulate the next election.

The BNP leader said people will not spare the CEC if he tries to use the EVMs to rig votes.