EVM Procurement: ACC inspects EC over irregularities
Staff Reporter :
A team from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) visited the Election Commission headquarters (known as Nirbachan Bhavan) in the Agargaon area of the capital and requested documents related to allegations of irregularities in the procurement of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
The ACC team conducted the inspection on Sunday, as confirmed by ACC Assistant Director Mohammad Nur Alam Siddiqui.
He stated, “A three-member ACC team launched an inspection at the Election Commission following allegations that the commission had purchased substandard EVMs.”
In 2018, the EC procured 150,000 EVMs, of which 1,500 were found to be non-functional.
During the inspection, three machines stored at the EC office were examined. One was found to be defective, while the other two were operational.
The EC currently holds 618 EVMs at its headquarters, 86,000 at the Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory (BMTF), and 62,000 in regional offices.
The ACC team collected relevant records related to the procurement and has requested further documentation for review.
“We will submit our report once all records have been reviewed. If necessary, we will involve IT experts to thoroughly investigate the allegations,” Nur Alam added.
This operation follows the anti-graft body’s decision to form a five-member team to probe the roles of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) chiefs, returning officers, and others involved in the December 30, 2018, national elections.
Opposition parties accused authorities of ballot-box stuffing on the night before election day, with reports indicating that between 30 and 60 percent of votes had been cast in advance.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) later found evidence of ballot-stamping at multiple centres during a study conducted in 33 out of 50 surveyed constituencies.
Additionally, data compiled by Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) revealed a 100 percent voter turnout at 213 polling stations and a turnout of between 90 and 99 percent in 7,689 centres.