बांग्लादेश में विपक्ष की आपत्ति पर EVM हटाई गई, बैलट पेपर से होगा चुनाव, भारत में EVM क्यों?

EVM से नहीं मतपत्रों से होंगे बांग्लादेश में आम चुनाव

बांग्‍लादेश में चुनाव आयोग ने अगले चुनाव में मतपत्रों का इस्‍तेमाल करने की घोषणा की है। आम चुनाव में सभी 300 संसदीय सीटों पर मतपत्रों और पारदर्शी मत पेटियों का इस्‍तेमाल किया जाएगा।

बांग्‍लादेश में इस वर्ष के अंत में या अगले वर्ष जनवरी में आम चुनाव कराए जाने हैं। विपक्षी बांग्‍लादेश नेशनलिस्‍ट पार्टी ने सरकार पर आरोप लगाया है कि वह जल्‍द चुनाव कराने की योजना बना रही है।

पार्टी के महासचिव मिर्जा फखरूल इस्‍लाम आलमगीर ने कहा कि पिछले सप्‍ताह बृहस्‍पतिवार को बैठक में चुनाव आयोग ने अधिकारियों से कहा कि चुनाव जल्‍दी होने की स्थिति के लिए तैयार रहें।

Ravinder Kapur
@RavinderKapur2
Cong leader Digvijay Singh alleged that the votes cast by people in EVM’s during polls were being stolen through hacking of these devices posing a threat to democracy . He called for a public agitation on issue of EVM hacking .

Surya Pratap Singh IAS Rtd.
@suryapsingh_IAS

बांग्लादेश में विपक्ष की आपत्ति पर EVM हटाई गई,बैलट पेपर से होगा चुनाव।

विश्व के अधिकांश लोकतंत्रों में बैलट पेपर से ही चुनाव होते हैं।

बांग्लादेश भारत को न केवल आर्थिक फ्रंट पर चुनौती दे रहा है बल्कि चुनाव सुधार में भी छलांग लगाई।

भारत में EVM क्यों?

𝑴𝒆𝒆𝒏𝒖 𝑵𝒆𝒘𝒀𝒐𝒓𝒌🇮🇳
@Ekthi_MeenuD

एक ख़बर, जो भारतीय रजनीतिक पार्टियों द्वारा उछाली जायेगी…. बांग्लादेश ने EVM मशीन का उपयोग करने से मना कर दिया है… अब चुनाव Ballet Box से ही होंगे.. मतलब कागज़ वाले Vote दिए जाएंगे.

यह ख़बर अब कुछ दिन Limelight में रहेगी, और बांग्लादेश की तरह भारत में भी EVM बंद करने की बात…

Chandra Bhushan (शूद्र).
@Chandra31290845
बांग्लादेश में अब चुनाव #EVM से नहीं,
#मतपत्रों से होंगे।

अगर कहीं भारत में भी EVM हटाने का फैसला हो जाए तो डर है कि #कांग्रेस, #सपा, #बसपा, #जेडीयू, #आरजेडी, डीएमके, सीपीएम, सीपीआई, जैसी सब पार्टियां विरोध में चुनावों का बहिष्कार ही न कर दें!!

Asif Reyaz
@asif343
बांग्लादेश में EVM से नहीं होगा चुनाव… ईवीएम की जगह बैलेट पेपर का होगा इस्तेमाल।
क्या भारत में भी ऐसा हो सकता है? भारत में विपक्ष लगातार ईवीएम में गड़बड़ी की बात करते हुए बैलेट पेपर से चुनाव कराने की मांग करता रहा है।

Bangladesh to cancel EVMs: Paper ballots only for general election

By Gautam Lahiri

New Delhi: In a significant move likely to have a significant impact among the countries of South Asia, the Election Commission of Bangladesh has decided not to use Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the next (12th) parliamentary elections, which are likely to be held early, in January 2024.

The Election Commission of Bangladesh has not given any reason for cancelling EVMs. In Bangladesh, EVMs are not used in all constituencies. This time, the BEC was preparing to hold voting in at least in 150 constituencies through EVMs. The decision is a major deviation from the EC’s work plan for the next polls.

Major opposition political parties, including the BNP, have strongly protested against the use of the machines. Therefore, all 300 parliamentary constituencies in Bangladesh would see the use of paper ballots and transparent ballot boxes, the Bangladesh Election Commission in Dhaka has announced.

In India, also, most opposition parties have vociferously raised concerns about the use of EVMs for voting. However, repeatedly, both the Election Commission of India and the central government have rejected the demand. With India’s next door neighbour now showing the way of holding elections in a ‘free and fair manner’ by using the old paper ballot system, the Indian EC may come under pressure from opposition parties in the country.

Political observers and analysts have said in Dhaka that bringing back the old paper ballot will definitely boost the image of Sheikh Hasina’s government in ‘strengthening democratic values.’ Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said in a press conference last month that, “we wanted to hold general elections using the EVMs. But many parties have raised objections about the neutrality of these machines. We had thought people would like to use the latest digital technology for choosing their government. Now we are leaving the decision to hold election to Election Commission. Whatever decision they take, we will abide by that.”

BEC Secretary Jahangir Alam announced the decision to abandon the EVMs after a meeting of the Election Commissioners on Monday. He said the government’s lack of funding to buy new machines and refurbish the old ones is a major reason behind the decision. Jahangir also told reporters that paper ballots and transparent ballot boxes would be used in all 300 constituencies during the forthcoming polls, scheduled for by early January 2024.

On the EC’s earlier plans to use EVMs in up to 150 constituencies, Jahangir said a Tk 8,000 crore project was undertaken in preparation, but the Planning Commission did not let the project go further. EVM suppliers, Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory, said Taka 1,260 crore would be needed to refurbish 1.1 lakh EVMs. The Commission had sought the money from the Finance ministry, but the ministry expressed its inability to pay that amount, he said.
But he also said, “Many political parties could not reach a consensus on the use of EVMs in the national election. The Commission may have made the decision considering all these factors.”

The EVM issue came to the fore after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, at an Awami League meeting on May 7 last year, said electronic voting machines would be used in all 300 constituencies. Interestingly, on August 24 last year, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal, ignoring the opposition to use of EVMs, said, “The decision to use EVMs was the Election Commission’s. The Commission will handle the polls, not the political parties. It is the Commission’s big responsibility to conduct the election.”

Major political parties, like the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the main opposition in parliament, Jatiya Party (Ershad), Gono Forum and Communist Party of Bangladesh and others opposed the use of EVMs. The country’s media reported that 19 of the 39 registered political parties directly opposed the use of EVMs. At least 10 of them voiced their opposition during their talks with the EC between July 17 and July 31, 2022. During meetings with the BEC, only three parties — ruling Awami League, Samyabadi Dal and Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh — said they want the EVMs.

A group of 39 eminent citizens had, on September 6, issued a statement urging the EC not to use EVMs. The statement said that use of the machines might provoke an unseemly political debate and erode people’s confidence in the commission.