Bangladesh

Articles about voting issues in the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Election Commission considering bigger role for Electronic Voting Machines | bdnews24.com

Jan 072012

The Election Commission is mulling over using the electronic voting machines in the national elections riding on its overwhelming success in the Comilla city polls. Bangladesh’s smallest city corporation went to the vote on Thursday without any ballot paper to mark the first full-fledged electronic election in Bangladesh. The electronic machines were experimentally used in Chittagong and Narayanganj city corporation elections.

Citizens Committee candidate Monirul Haque Sakku, an expelled BNP leader, claimed a landslide victory and became the first mayor of Comilla with 65,577 votes, while his nearest rival ruling Awami League-backed Afzal Khan got 36,471 votes. During the daylong ballot, where a total of 169,273 voters cast their votes at 421 polling booths of the 65 polling centres from 8am to 4pm, both voters and the contestants expressed their satisfaction with regard to the EVMs. Read More »

Khaleda: No vote without army | bdnews24.com

Nov 282011

The opposition will accept no election with electronic voting machines in use under a partisan government, BNP chief Khaleda Zia said, adding that army will have to be deployed in the upcoming election. ”We will not accept any vote under the partisan government. We will not allow such elections in the country. Now they [the government] are conspiring two things, holding the polls without deploying army and getting the ballots on EVM,” Khaleda told a wayside in Jessore on Sunday, as part of her two-day road march to Khulna.

“We want to say that no polls without the army (deployment) will be allowed. The EVMs are vote manipulation machines. We do not accept them.” The BNP-backed candidate was withdrawn from the Narayanganj City Corporation mayoral race only seven hours before the vote on Oct 30 as the army was not deployed. Read More »

No birds, animals or billboards in campaigns | bdnews24.com

Nov 222011

The Election Commission has banned city corporation polls candidates from using billboards and live animal and birds in their publicity campaigns. ”A sub-clause is being included into the electoral code of conduct to this end,” senior assistant secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat, Mohammad Forhad Hossain told bdnews24.com….

EC secretary Mohammad Sadique requested the law ministry to issue a circular on the matter in a letter sent on Monday. Out of the 68 symbols set to be allocated to mayor and councillor posts contenders under the local government election guideline, 12 are pictures of animals and birds – tiger, duck, butterfly, fish, crocodile, rabbit, parrot, deer, stork, cow, chicken and elephant. Read More »

Narayanganj City Corporation election was largely peaceful, fair and free | Daily Star

Oct 312011

Leaders of political parties yesterday said the maiden election to Narayanganj City Corporation was largely peaceful, fair and free. However, their opinions go different ways from there on with ruling alliance leaders praising the voters for exercising their franchise and opposition leaders bashing the government for “compelling” them to pull out of the race.

Parties of the ruling alliance claimed that the election has once again proved that a free, fair and peaceful election can be held when an elected government is in power, if all necessary arrangements are ensured and voters are enthusiastic. Opposition BNP leaders, however, claim that the government made it impossible for them to stay in the race and they have rejected the election.

Their ally Jamaat-e-Islami refused to even make any comment. Jamaat Assistant Publication Secretary Matiur Rahman Akand only said that they have nothing to say since the opposition alliance has pulled out its mayoral candidate. Read More »

Shamim, Ivy back Electronic Voting Machines Taimur opposes | bdnews24.com

Oct 262011

BNP-backed Taimur Alam Khandaker has altogether opposed use of Electronic Voting Machines in the Narayanganj City Corporation, Selina Hayat Ivy preferred it in three instead of nine centres while Shamim Osman went the whole hog for it. Ivy said she will make relatively fewer promises as she is against tall talks after Shamim Osman rattled off his successes when he was the Narayanganj-1 MP.

The war of words between Ivy and Shamim began in earnest in the televised debate, with Ivy firing the first salvo at her ‘elder brother’, saying he puts the party behind everything else. The people are behind me, the former Narayanganj municipality said during the primetime Election Commission debate. Shamim, on his part, said it is difficult to work without party support. “BNP did it first. We did it in response.” Read More »

BNP fears unfounded, Election Commission to move ahead with Electronic Voting Machines | Financial Express

Oct 072011

The Election Commission (EC) is moving ahead with its plan to introduce the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in the upcoming elections, including the Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) polls, despite the opposition BNP’s objection. ”We’re moving ahead with the EVM project,” Election Commissioner Brig Gen (Retd) M Sakhawat Hossain told journalists at the EC Secretariat office in the city Wednesday, reports UNB.

About BNP’s opposition to the EVM system that it’s a weapon to manipulate vote, he said there is no similarity with the system that was recently shown by them (BNP). ”The EVM system we’re applying and going to apply is not used in Germany and the United States. And it won’t have any connection with the central server,” he added. Read More »

Election Commission set to try electronic voting machines in 2013 polls | bdnews24.com

Aug 252011

The Election Commission will be fully prepared to use Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in the next general elections slated for late 2013. ”Let’s see how much we can do,” chief election commissioner (CEC) A T M Shamsul Huda said on Wednesday. The current panel of commissioners runs its term on Feb 2012. The information minister on Tuesday informed parliament about the EC decision too.

Political parties in the recent dialogues with the EC suggested the EVM be introduced in phases. Opposition BNP, who did not join the formal talks, has been protesting the move fearing rigged elections. Read More »

Election Commission planning to put electronic voting in place | bdnews24.com

Aug 242011

Information minister Abul Kalam Azad has said that the Election Commission (EC) is considering introduction of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in the next general election.

The information minister, who is assigned to answer questions related to the EC Secretariat in the House, said Tuesday the issue of EVM introduction in the polls of Dhaka City Corporation was also under consideration. Azad made the comment as he replied to a query from Netrakona-1 MP Mustaque Ahmed Ruhi during a question-answer session in the parliament. Read More »

Last chance for Bangladesh National Party | The Daily Star

Jul 202011

The Election Commission wants the cabinet division and three ministries concerned to do the administrative job ahead of the parliamentary polls in consultation with it.

Talking to reporters yesterday, Election Commissioner M Sakhawat Hussain said the EC has already suggested incorporating a provision in the Representation of People Order to that end. ”We have proposed that the cabinet division and home, LGRD and public administration ministries consult the commission while discharging administrative duties,” Sakhawat added. Read More »

Chief Election Commissioner frustrated over Dhaka City Corporation election delay | The Daily Star

Jul 132011

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday expressed his frustration over the government’s dilly-dallying approach on holding the long overdue Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) poll.

“Government’s attitude indicates that they have no headache to hold the election,” he said during a dialogue with Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) on electoral reform at the commission’s secretariat in the city.

The last DCC election was held in early 2002 and its tenure expired on May 14, 2007. Election Commission (EC) already approached the government three times to hold the election but there was no satisfactory response, he said. Read More »

Election Commission to distribute smartcard ID for voters | Financial Express

Jul 122011

The Election Commission (EC) is often at the receiving end of strong criticism for its failure to conduct national elections properly. Such criticisms are generally made by the defeated candidates or political parties. The presence of ‘ghost’ voters on the electoral rolls and fake voting are common problems that the EC has been facing for decades. There were, allegedly, some other greater schemes, designed by powerful quarters in the past, to which the EC had become a party by default or by design.

The EC, at the initiative taken by the last military-backed caretaker government, prepared and distributed national identity cards (IDs) to all eligible voters and also printed electoral rolls carrying photographs of the voters before the last general elections. It was a huge task for the EC. But it could accomplish the task quite efficiently under a Tk. 5.7 billion project — large part of which was financed by the external donors — with the active assistance from the Bangladesh Army. The EC had undertaken in the early 1990s a voters’ ID card project but it was abandoned later, after wasting a substantial amount of money. Read More »

Bangladesh Nationalist Party attacks Electronic Voting Machines, e-vote | bdnews24.com

Jul 062011

Opposition BNP has attacked the electronic voting machine (EVM) as ‘a key tool to rig vote’ and said the government plans to introduce e-voting to doctor up election results. Acting secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir inveighed against the EVM and e-voting at a workshop titled ‘Electronic Voting System’ organised by Centre for National Studies (CNS) at BRAC Centre Inn Auditorium at Mohakhali in the city on Tuesday.

“As part of its design, the government has abolished the caretaker government system through the 15th Amendment to the constitution. Their objective is to change public verdict by holding the next parliament election under the elected government.”

Fakhrul said the initiative to introduce EVM was a part of that government plot. Read More »

Bangladesh abolishes caretaker government for elections | The Associated Press

Jul 012011

Bangladesh’s Parliament on Thursday rescinded a 15-year-old requirement that general elections be overseen by nonpartisan caretaker governments — a move the opposition says could allow incumbents to rig the votes.

The ruling coalition of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina pushed the constitutional amendment through Parliament with a vote of 291-1, well more than the two-thirds majority needed in the 345-member chamber. The opposition’s 38 members abstained. The caretaker system came under fire in 2007 after a military-backed caretaker government stayed beyond its mandated three months and delayed the voting by about two years.

Opposition lawmakers, however, argue the new rules will allow Hasina to steer the result of the next parliamentary polls due in 2014, and have vowed to protest the move by continuing a campaign of general strikes and street protests started this month. Read More »

Electronic Voting Machines likely in N'ganj city polls | The Daily Star

Jun 282011

The Election Commission (EC) plans to introduce electronic voting machine (EVM) experimentally in the Narayanganj City Corporation polls. The EC will hold the election within 180 days after formation of the corporation, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda said yesterday.

The government on May 5 declared the Narayanganj municipality as Narayanganj City Corporation and appointed its administrator on June 23 this year. As per the law, the election should be held before November 5.

The CEC said voters will get to know the system if it is introduced in different local government polls before the general election, which is due in 2014. Read More »

BNP won't join polls if e-voting introduced in Bangladesh | The Daily Star

Jun 232011

BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed yesterday said his party wont take part in elections if the Election Commission will introduce Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) in the polls.

“E-voting is not an acceptable system as neutral voting is not possible using this system and that is why BNP does not support it,” he said while addressing a discussion meeting at Jatiya Press Club.

Jagroto Janata, a pro-BNP organisation, organised the discussion tilted “Electronic Voting Machine: neutrality, acceptability and people’s thinking.” Read More »

Election Commission recast a big challenge in Bangladesh | bdnews24.com

Jun 172011

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) has suggested holding one or two general elections under the caretaker government system until a strong Election Commission is formed.

“Reorganisation of the EC to make it acceptable to all after the present one will be a big political challenge,” party president Hasanul Haque Inu said during a dialogue with the EC on Thursday.

The leftist party also favoured phased introduction of electronic voting machine (EVM) in elections. Read More »

Editors tell Bangladesh Election Commission: Don't do E-Voting alone | bdnews24.com

Jun 132011

Editors have urged the Election Commission to introduce electronic voting machine (EVM) in consultation with the opposition. They came up with their opinion in a views-exchange meeting with the Commission on Saturday.

The editors, however, said the opposition should not show any reservation against the voting technology before assessing it properly. They suggested the EC to put in more efforts to have a positive feedback from the main opposition to make its initiative fruitful. Read More »

BNP won't join Bangladesh election commission dialogue | The Daily Star

Jun 102011

In a crucial meeting of party policymakers, the main opposition BNP last night decided not to join dialogue with the election commission (EC) on June 13. Sources said the party will inform the EC of their decision through a letter.

The party high command also decided to declare an agitation programme against the government move to bring amendments to the country’s constitution.

The formal announcement regarding hartal may come on Friday, said party insiders after the closed-door standing committee meeting at BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office. Read More »

Samyabadi Dal says yes, Janata League no to electronic voting in Bangladesh | The Daily Star

Jun 092011

Bangladesher Samyabadi Dal ML yesterday supported introduction of electronic voting e-voting system in upcoming general election while Krishak Sramik Janata League opposed it saying the system is not enough to prevent vote rigging.

Leaders of the two parties expressed their opinions in seperate dialogues with Election Commission EC at its secretariat in the city as part of its ongoing dialogue with 38 registered political parties till July 14.

EC launched the dialogues on Tuesday for opinions on key issues like use of e-voting machine; Representation of the People Order; laws on demarcation of constituencies and appointment of election commissioners. Both parties stressed on the need for establishing a free and powerful EC to conduct a neutral election. Read More »

Election Commission begins dialogue with Bangladesh political parties | The Daily Star

Jun 082011

The Election Commission yesterday kicked off their elaborate dialogue process for reforms in the EC with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Jatiya Party (JP) expressing their support for introduction of an electronic voting system (EVS) in the next general polls.

As the main opposition BNP continued to shun it, both LDP and JP expressed their satisfaction with the electronic system at talks that lasted for over three hours.

… BNP has opposed the EC’s move to introduce an EVS saying the move is an ‘ill intention’ by the government to manipulate the results of the upcoming parliamentary polls. Read More »

E-voting in next election says Bangladesh Prime Minister - opposition parties object | bdnews24.com

Jun 082011

Electronic voting will be started from next general elections, says the prime minister. Speaking at a discussion at Bangabandhu Conference Centre on Tuesday, Sheikh Hasina said, “The Election Commission will be strengthened to return the people’s power to the people.”

“It is people who will decide as to whom they’ll hand over the reins of power,” she added. Hasina also noted that most of the South Asian countries use e-voting system in elections. Read More »

BSD favours e-voting for Bangladesh | bdnews24.com

Jun 082011

The Bangladesh Samyabadi Dal has said the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) will bring a revolutionary change to the country’s electoral system.

“The system will play a vital role in conducting fair elections,” the party’s general secretary Dilip Barua said, while talking to the Election Commission on the EVM dialogue on Wednesday.

“We favour EVM. It is an epoch-making system. Bangladesh has to march forward with the pace of modern technology.” Read More »

Prime Minister of Bangladesh for strong Electoral Commission and e-voting | The Daily Star

Jun 072011

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday reiterated her government’s plans to further strengthen the Election Commission (EC) and introducing electronic voting system in the country to hold free, fair and neutral elections in future.

“None would be able to cast more than one vote and snatch ballot boxes with the introduction of new digital system in polling process. Apart from Bangladesh and Pakistan, the electronic voting system has already been introduced in all countries of the subcontinent,” she said. Read More »

Election Commission dialogue: LDP against e-voting in Bangladesh | bdnews24.com

Jun 072011

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) at a meeting with the Election Commission has said they do not favour electronic voting system.

“The voting machine is useless without fingerprint. We urge not to waste public money by introducing this system,” LDP president Oli Ahmed said on Tuesday.

The EC started dialogue with 38 registered political parties on the issue with LDP being the first to join the talks at 10:15am on Tuesday. Read More »

Election Commission opens dialogue with Bangladesh parties from today | Financial Express

Jun 072011

The Election Commission (EC) starts dialogue with the registered political parties from today (Tuesday) to collect their views to make the election laws time befitting, reports UNB.

During the dialogue with the political parties, the commission will discuss various issues including delimitation of constituencies, state funding for political parties and constitution process of the commission, use of electronic voting machine (EVM) and also amendment to the Representation of People’s Order (RPO). Read More »

Opposition strike over change in electoral system grips Bangladesh | Individual.com

Jun 062011

Steel helmeted riot police patrolled the streets of the capital today as a dusk-to-dawn general strike called by opposition groups to protest the government’s decision to change electoral system paralysed Bangladesh.

The strike was called after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party announced plans last week to scrap the country’s electoral system under which a caretaker government takes over during election time. Read More »

Government not rigid on caretaker issue in Bangladesh | The Daily Star

Jun 042011

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged the main opposition BNP to call off tomorrow’s hartal and said there is still scope for discussion on the caretaker government system.

“We are not rigid on the issue. Come to parliament and if you have any formula, spell it out,” she said in the emergency meeting of Awami League Central Working Committee, at her Gono Bhaban residence in the capital. Read More »

Prime Minister asks: Hartal [Strike] against Bangladesh government or court? | The Daily Star

Jun 032011

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday castigated the main opposition BNP for calling a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal on Sunday on the caretaker government issue.

“Has BNP called for the hartal against the government or the court that declared the caretaker government system illegal?” she questioned when a delegation of Nitol-Niloy and IPSSL groups called on her at her office in the afternoon. Read More »

Bangladesh opposition calls strike, seeks to keep caretaker system | M&C

Jun 022011

The opposition Wednesday called a daylong general strike at the weekend to protest the government’s scrapping of Bangladesh’s system of holding elections under neutral caretaker administrations in a country prone to polling violence. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir – acting secretary general of the Nationalist Party, which leads an opposition alliance – announced the nationwide strike for Sunday, saying the party had resolved to go all-out against the government plan.

The central standing committee of the Nationalist Party said earlier that the party would not join elections unless there is a caretaker government system for holding free and fair polls. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, a Nationalist Party ally, also called a strike Sunday.

BNP and its ally Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami have called a daylong countrywide general strike on Sunday | bdnews24.com

Jun 012011

The main opposition BNP and its ally Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami have called a daylong countrywide general strike on Sunday to protest the government move to discard the caretaker government provision for the next general elections in line with a court order.

BNP acting secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the dawn-to-dusk shutdown at a press conference at party’s Naya Paltan-based headquarters on Wednesday. Read More »

Parties asked to find solution - Former Bangladesh caretaker government advisers warn of instability | The Daily Star

Jun 012011

Former advisers to different caretaker governments have urged political parties not to create instability in the country centring the interim rule and suggested that they find a solution on the basis of mutual understanding.

Disputes among the political parties over holding the next general elections might lead to another political unrest, threatening continuation of democracy and public safety, they fear. People of the country now don’t want to see political instability, they said, expressing hope that political parties will bring out a peaceful solution with their wisdom.

Moudud Ahmed says BNP to boycott e-voting in Bangladesh | bdnews24.com

May 282011

A [Bangladesh Nationalist Party] BNP policymaker has said they will not take part in elections if the government introduces e-voting, as it will be ‘a tool of vote rigging’.

“We won’t accept e-voting and take part in elections. Elections must be held under the existing voting system,” Moudud Ahmed said at a human chain programme at the South Plaza of the parliament building on Saturday morning. Read More »

Election Commission set to introduce electronic polling in Bangladesh over BNP opposition | Gulf Times

May 262011

The Election Commission (EC) is set to introduce electronic voting machines (EVM) in the coming general elections to stop malpractices during polling but the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, headed by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has already rejected the plan.

Despite BNP’s rejection, the Election Commission will start a series of dialogues with registered political parties on June 7 to take their opinions on introduction of electronic voting machine and enactment of laws outlining criteria for appointment of Election Commissioners. Read More »

Election Commission going for fresh dialogue - will discus introduction of electronic voting to Bangladesh | bdnews24.com

May 252011

The Election Commission is going to sit with registered political parties once again to discuss changes to the rules on the commissioner’s appointment and to the electoral laws. The commission plans to kick off the dialogue from June 7, election commissioner M Sakhawat Hossain told bdnews24.com… on Tuesday.

Reforms to the law on delimitation of electoral areas and introduction of electronic voting will also be discussed among other topics, he said. Read More »

Tk 1,200cr needed for e-voting in Bangladesh | The Daily Star

Mar 302011

The Election Commission Secretariat estimates that Tk 1,200 crore will be required to hold the next parliamentary elections under electronic voting system. EC Secretary Muhammad Sadiq yesterday said this at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec).

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presiding over the meeting said the government will introduce the system in the next parliamentary elections. She directed the EC to take whatever measures necessary to this end. She also said when the system is in place, results will be quicker and there will be no scope for vote rigging. Read More »

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