BSS-19 EVM promotion to reduce paper use: EC

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BSS-19

EVM-FAIR-RAJSHAHI (with picture)

EVM promotion to reduce paper use: EC

RAJSHAHI, Oct 27, 2018 (BSS)- Election Commissioner (EC) Rafiqul Islam today said the decision of promoting Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) has been taken to reduce the use of paper-based ballot.

“We want to curtail the use of paper to protect trees in the country,” he said while inaugurating the daylong EVM Fair on office premises of Regional Election Officer here as the chief guest.

The EC said ballot papers and other related papers and documents are prepared through destroying crores of trees. “We cannot turn the earth into ineligible of habitat. So, we have brought EVM to people,” he added.

Islam also said there are 39 registered political parties to take part in the forthcoming parliamentary election. Some of those opposed the EVM. But, EVM was used in City Corporation and other elections where 12 teams participated and some of those win.

“We want to earn confidence and satisfaction of voters in order to attaining satisfaction of political parties,” EC Rafiqul Islam added.

He further said that EVMs are very easy to use, and a voter can use his or her NID card number and fingerprint to use the machine if they do not have a smart card.

Since introduction in 2010, EVMs have thus far been used in different local government elections only.

Chaired by Deputy Commissioner of Rajshahi SM Abdul Kader the meeting was addressed, among others, by Commissioner-in-Charge of Rajshahi division Aminul Islam, Deputy Inspector General of Police Khurshid Hussain, Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police AKM Hafiz Akter and Superintendent of Police Md Shahidullah.

Regional Election Office arranged the fair to give and disseminate idea about EVM and its application to the voters in general. The fair arranged demo polling through EVM from morning to evening.

BSS/AH/MMA/175hrs