While the decision to scrap the EVMs is a step in the right direction, the EC must not lose sight of the fact that there are many other pressing issues that it must address for a free, fair and participatory elections.

Restoring trust in the electoral process remains the biggest challenge

According to the Election Commission, 17 parties during their talks with the EC opined in favour of using EVMs in the next national polls but The Daily Star found that at least four of them actually spoke against using EVMs.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has urged the Election Commission that they should take the decision on using EVM only after ensuring it is technically faultless.

Tabith Awal, BNP’s mayoral candidate for the Dhaka North City Corporation election, says people were not ready to cast their votes using the Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs) in the election scheduled for January 30.

A Supreme Court lawyer files a writ petition with the High Court seeking a ban on the use of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in the elections, claiming that the ordinance that allows use of EVM is unconstitutional.

For the first time in India’s parliamentary elections, the country’s Election Commission is to undertake exercise of matching EVM results with Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machine slips during vote-count of the ongoing polls on May 23.

Andhra Pradesh is going to polls to elect 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha members. Voters turned up in good numbers at the polling stations as the exercise began at 7:00am, even as EVM glitches were reported from some places.

Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed says the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) will be used from the third phase of Upazila Parishad elections.

Electronic voting machines will be used in Dhaka-6 and-13, Chattogram-9, Rangpur-3, Khulna-2 and Satkhira-2 constituencies in the upcoming parliamentary election.

The Election Commission yesterday finally clarified its position on the use of electronic voting machines in the December 30 national election, saying EVMs would be used in all polling centres of six constituencies.

Despite strong opposition from the Jatiya Oikyafront, the election commissioners will sit today and decide how and in which places the electronic voting machines will be used.

A top leader of Jatiya Oikyafront yesterday threatened to sue the government and the Election Commission (EC), if Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) are used in the upcoming general election.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda says there is no scope for the Election Commission to back off from the EVM use and this machine will be used on a limited scale in the national election.

The Election Commission is mulling a plan to deploy army at the polling booths equipped with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to “ensure technical support and security”.

The Election Commission finalises the electoral code for upcoming parliamentary election, which includes use of electronic voting machines (EVMs).

President Abdul Hamid promulgates the ordinance of the amendment to the Representation of the People Order (RPO) with provision of using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the elections.

The cabinet yesterday approved major changes to the Representation of the People Order, paving the way for the use of Electronic Voting Machines in polls and relaxing the rules on loan defaulters contesting the polls.

The Election Commission yesterday exhibited the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) in eight districts amid ongoing criticism and protests by opposition parties regarding its use in the upcoming national polls.

The government will purchase 1.5 lakh EVMs in three phases in the next five years.