AL banking on machines, losing confidence in people: BNP

The BNP on Thursday termed the election commission’s plan to use electronic voting machines (EVMs) in next general elections as a collaborative scheme with Awami League to rig polls.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the ruling party is up to mischief, as it has lost all its confidence in the people.

“Losing confidence in the people, the Awami League is now banking on machines (EVMs). The plan to use EVMs is an unholy partnership of the Awami League and the election commission,” the BNP leader said.

He gave his reaction to the EC’s most recent initiative to use EVMs without consultating the people and the political parties, addressing a press conference at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office.

Mirza Fakhrul alleged that the AL and the EC have undertaken the scheme in order to manipulate the election process.

“Why and at whose directive has the chief election commissioner all of a sudden undertaken the scheme to introduce the EVMs in the national elections?” the BNP leader asked.

He, however, expressed determination to foil such a conspiratorial move.

Mirza Fakhrul also warned that ‘unnecessary’ spending in the name of procuring EVMs would be considered as the “personal liability’ of the election commission officials.

“The liability of such misdeeds must be borne by the election commission authorities,” he said.

Mentioning that chief election commissioner KM Nurul Huda assured people of not using the EVMs after he had taken the charge of the commission, he questioned what now prompted the commission to hurriedly procure 1.5 lakh EVMs spending Tk 40 billion.

The BNP leader said the election results can be manipulated through the EVMs while five votes can be given with one click.

He urged the election commission to engage in talks with all the stakeholders and take steps for ensuring a fair voting through the customary ballot paper system.

Fakhrul also presented 11 proposals for taking necessary steps for a credible election by spending Tk 40 billion instead of procuring EVMs.

The proposals include, installing closed-circuit cameras at 44,000 polling stations, developing the infrastructure of the educational institutions to be used as voting centres, providing upazila election officers with necessary transport facilities, setting up a modern printing press for printing ballot papers, enhancing the capacity of officers involved with the election process, providing all the upazila election offices with video cameras, taking a 'voter education and awareness programme' and ensuring sufficient honorarium for election officials and Ansar-VDP and village police members.