EVMs bought for Tk 40b now burden on EC

The 150,000 electronic voting machines (EVMs) purchased for the 11th parliamentary election in 2018 have now become a burden on the Election Commission (EC). These devices, bought at a cost of nearly Tk 40 billion, have become unusable.

As their lifespan has expired, the EC wants to dispose of the EVMs by burning them. However, it is currently unable to do so. This is because the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is investigating allegations of corruption in the procurement of the EVMs.

There are also audit objections from the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General. The EC is unable to make a decision, fearing that burning the devices could create new complications. Moreover, clearance from the Department of Environment would be required to burn them.

An official of the Department of Environment told Prothom Alo that EVM contain batteries, circuit boards, and memory chips. Burning them in the open would cause air pollution, which is harmful to the environment.

If these devices are disposed of randomly instead of in landfills, they would cause soil pollution. However, no application has yet been submitted to them regarding the burning of these devices, he added.

Meanwhile, storing the EVMs in the warehouse of Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory (BMTF) and in warehouses across various districts is incurring monthly rental costs. Sources concerned said that 150,000 EVMs were purchased hastily without proper planning and at high prices during the Awami League government’s tenure.

Now the consequences are being borne. They said that on one hand there has been a waste of money, and on the other hand the EVMs are not being used. Instead, The EC is bearing a financial burden, paying more than Tk 10 million every month in rent instead.

According to sources, a committee was formed to determine what to do with the unused EVMs after AMM Nasir Uddin assumed office as the new Chief Election Commissioner in November 2024. The committee, headed by EC Joint Secretary Md Main Uddin Khan, has not yet submitted its report.

A member of the committee told Prothom Alo that due to the ongoing ACC investigation and audit objections, the committee is unable to submit its report. At the same time, the EVMs cannot be destroyed. As a result, the EC is in a dilemma. The 150,000 EVMs have become a burden for the EC.

Sources said that the ACC has interrogated three EC officials over allegations of major financial irregularities in the procurement of the EVMs. A case has also been filed in this regard.

Ahead of the 11th parliamentary election in 2018, then Awami League government took up a project costing Tk 38.25 billion to purchase EVMs. The commission led by KM Nurul Huda then procured 150,000 EVMs in phases. Each EVM was purchased at Tk 235,000, which is about 11 times higher than in India.

Toward the end of the ousted Awami League government’s tenure, in 2023, an initiative was taken to purchase an additional 200,000 EVM devices. The estimated cost was Tk 87.11 billion. Although there were plans to conduct voting in 150 constituencies using EVMs in the 12th parliamentary election, the then government later withdrew from that plan.

Sources at the Election Commission office said that when the 150,000 EVMs were purchased, no arrangements were made for their storage. No budget allocation was kept either. Of the 150,000 EVM sets, 70,000 are stored in private warehouses across 41 districts at the field level. For this, a monthly rent of Tk 3.3 million is being paid. The remaining 80,000 EVMs are stored in the modern warehouse of Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory (BMTF). These devices have been kept there since 2019.

For using the BMTF warehouse, it has demanded nearly Tk 10 million per month in rent. Over five years of warehouse use, BMTF has demanded Tk 720 million in rent from the EC. Correspondence with the Ministry of Finance on this issue has not resolved the matter. As a result, the amount of unpaid rent is increasing day by day.

Documents show that since 2022, 70,000 EVMs have been stored in 41 district EC offices across the country. Rent is being paid monthly for this. The highest rent is being paid at the Jamalpur district EC office, where 2,500 EVMs are stored in a private warehouse.

A monthly rent of Tk 137,000 is being paid. District election officer Muhammad Anwarul Haque told Prothom Alo that the EVMs devices are kept in a privately owned warehouse, and rent is sometimes paid after three months and sometimes after one month.

In Manikganj, 3,500 EVMs are stored in a private warehouse through the district EC office as a rent of Tk 129,750 per month. District election officer Mohammad Nazim Uddin said that although the batteries of the EVMs are supposed to be charged every 15 days, this is not possible. Moreover, the warehouse is holding more EVMs than its capacity.

Additional Secretary of the Election Commission KM Ali Newaz told Prothom Alo that the EVMs cannot be burned due to the ACC case. The committee cannot submit its report due to audit objections. The EVMs are now lying idle in warehouses and these devices can no longer be used in elections.

Political parties are also against the use of EVMs in elections. The Electoral System Reform Commission recommended not using EVMs in its report. The EC has also removed the EVM provision from the Representation of the People Order (RPO).

Sources at the Planning Commission said that the EC had sought Tk 400 million from the Planning Commission for storing the 150,000 EVMs. However, the Planning Commission did not provide the funds. EC sources said that the control units, monitors, batteries, and cables of the EVMs have now become non-functional.

EVMs were first developed by the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). These devices were first used in 2011 in one ward of the Chattogram City Corporation election.

Later, EVM use began on a small scale. However, problems were identified in the Rajshahi City Corporation election in 2013, after which EVMs were not used. Later, after the commission led by KM Nurul Huda took office, initiatives were taken to use EVMs in elections. BMTF manufactured the EVMs for the commission.

Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of Citizens for Good Governance (Shujan), told Prothom Alo that the EVMs have become useless and their lifespan has ended. With permission from the ACC, these EVMs should now be disposed of. Otherwise, monthly warehouse rent will continue to be paid.

He said that those involved in purchasing these low-quality EVMs at high prices in 2018 must face legal action. Otherwise, others may be encouraged to carry out similar procurements under different names in the future.