Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda yesterday said it is quite natural that there would be some concern among the political parties about the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs).

“Concern remains among the people about any new technology and its uses. As the EVM is a new technology and the political parties don't know about it, it is quite natural that there would be some concern among them about the use of the machine,” he said.

The CEC was addressing a workshop on EVM at the Election Training Institute in the capital's Agargaon.

Huda said the use of EVM in the upcoming national election would depend on enactment of law, training of polls officials and acceptance of all stakeholders.

If the government brings in necessary laws and a congenial atmosphere is created, then the EC will think about using EVMs in some constituencies, he added.

Talking to journalists on Sunday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said EVMs should not be imposed hurriedly as the machines need to be introduced on a limited scale in national elections.

“Many countries have the EVM system. I was always and am still in favour of it. Yes, it's right that it shouldn't be imposed hastily as it's a matter of practice. We'll have to examine it,” she said while addressing a press conference at the Gono Bhaban.

About the purchase of EVMs, the CEC yesterday said the government and the finance ministry would look into the matter as the EC didn't have any fund for this purpose.

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EVM steam off

Huda further said the commission faces many difficulties in using ballot papers under the existing manual voting system as it needs to use many documents and tools.

On August 30, the EC decided to send a proposal to the government for amending the electoral laws so it can use EVMs in the national polls, likely to be held in late December.

The EC made the decision at a six-hour meeting, chaired by the CEC.

The decision came two days after EC Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed said they were planning to use EVMs in some 100 out of the 300 constituencies.

National issues have been dominating the election campaigns of the Awami League and BNP mayor candidates in the Khulna and Gazipur city polls.

As the two cities are going to polls along party lines on May 15 for the first time, the four mayor hopefuls of the two major parties have been talking about the national issues to woo voters.

Besides, central leaders campaigning for their party colleagues are also brining many national issues to the fore.

The AL leaders are reminding voters about the BNP-Jamaat's alleged violence before and after the January 5, 2014 parliamentary polls and the “failure” of the incumbent BNP-backed mayors in carrying out development works in the two cities.

Highlighting the government's development projects, the AL candidates argue that voters should elect mayors from the ruling party to help the government continue the development works.

However, the BNP candidates have been telling voters that they should take the election as an opportunity to protest against the “government's misdeeds as it has destroyed all the democratic institutions in the country and indulged in corruption”.

The mayor hopefuls are trying to convince voters that victories in the polls will intensify the BNP's ongoing movement to free party Chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail. The former prime minister is now behind bars in a graft case.

However, election experts said the way the electioneering is taking place in Khulna and Gazipur cities, it seems that a national election is going to be held there. According to them, campaigns of councillor aspirants failed to attract voters' attention as the councillor polls are non-partisan.

AL mayoral candidate in Khulna Talukder Abdul Khaleque said carrying out development works locally was not possible without the support from the government.

“Rampal power plant, Mongla Port and other national development projects will surely have an impact on Khulna city. So it is very natural that national issues will dominate the electoral campaign here.”

He also said as the AL was in power, carrying out development works in Khulna city would be easy if the mayor was elected from the ruling party.

Mayor hopeful Nazrul Islam Monju of BNP said he was stressing that people should cast their votes to “get back their voting rights”. “In our polls campaign, we are focusing on Khaleda Zia's release and the local issues. People are just waiting for a chance to show no-confidence in the government and Khulna city election will bring them one such chance.”

Hasan Uddin Sarker, mayoral candidate of BNP in Gazipur, said, “I am urging voters to cast their votes for an experienced and tested candidate. As the election is being held along party lines, I am focusing on the government's misdeeds and the local issues.”

Local government expert Tofail Ahmed said a mayor should be elected from the elected councillors to strengthen the local government. Only then the local issues will get priority during polls campaigns.

As the parliamentary election is only a few months away, it is quite normal that the ruling party candidates will try to get advantage of the government's major development projects and the opposition party will try to focus on the government's failures, he added.

Former election commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Shakhawat Hossain said the central leaders of the political parties were picking the mayor candidates and also taking part in the polls campaigns.

“When the central leaders join the electioneering, they focus more on national issues. The party candidates and their supporters have nothing to do but follow the tone set by the central leaders,” he told The Daily Star.

The central leaders' involvement in the process should be stopped to make an election to a local government body a local election in true sense, he observed.

The next parliamentary election will be held in time in a festive atmosphere, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said yesterday.

Those who failed to depoliticise the country during 1/11 are the ones who are saying that elections would not be held, the minister added.

Quader, also the general secretary of ruling Awami League, said this in response to a query by journalists while he was speaking at the inaugural programme of Janmashtami procession in Dhaka's Palashi area.

“The next parliamentary session will be the last and after this no parliament member will have any official power. There is no question regarding this,” said Quader, who was the chief guest at the rally.

Quader also warned the Hindu community not to get trapped in the attempt to create communal polarisation in the name of national unity.

He further reminded the Hindu community of the 2001 period when “BNP-led communal forces came into power” and said the situation will be worse if they come back to power.

Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon inaugurated the Janmasthami procession. Among others, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia, Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad President Milon Kanti Datta, and its General Secretary Nirmal Kumar Chatterjee also spoke at the programme.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday categorically said her party would contest the national elections, but the polls must be held under an interim non-partisan administration.

“BNP is a pro-election political party. We will contest the election even if you [government] want to keep us out of it. We will contest the polls and you must make arrangements to that end,” Khaleda told a programme at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB).

There has been uncertainty in and outside the party as BNP boycotted the last parliamentary polls demanding election under a non-partisan caretaker administration.

However, the government is yet to meet the demand. In addition, Khaleda has been facing corruption charges and the trial is at the final stage.

BNP leaders repeatedly alleged that “false, fabricated and politically motivated” cases were filed against her to keep her away from the next national polls.

The programme at IEB did not begin well for the former premier after she was forced to stay in front of the institute for nearly one hour.

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), a pro-BNP student body, was scheduled to hold a programme there at 2:00pm to mark its 39th founding anniversary. Khaleda, a former prime minister, was supposed to join the programme as the chief guest.

But, JCD activists found the gate of the institution locked at 10:00am with police on guard.

As they tried to approach the institute authorities to know the reason, law enforcers said the authorities had taken the steps “for the safety and security of the president”.

President Md Abdul Hamid had joined a programme in the Supreme Court located next to the institution.

Later in the afternoon, several hundred activists of JCD took position in front of the main entrance of IEB and staged demonstrations to press home their demand for opening the gate.

Khaleda joined the agitating JCD men at 4:25pm and stayed there sitting in her car until 5:20pm when the authorities opened the gate.

Addressing the programme, the former premier alleged that the Sheikh Hasina-led government did not come to power with people's mandate and said her party would not join the elections if it is held under the AL government.

“As the government is not elected through peoples' vote, election would not be held under them. Parliament should be dissolved,” she said.

Referring to wholesale arrest of BNP leaders and activists, the former premier said, “By repressing our leaders and activists, holding of another farcical election like January 5 would not be allowed in the country anymore. This time the election will be an inclusive one.”

Saying that people want a change, Khaleda added that the election should be held under a non-partisan neutral administration to bring that change.

“Why it is required? It is because fair election was never held under Hasina and will never be held in future,” she added.

Regarding the Padma Bridge, Khaleda said it will not be completed during the tenure of the Awami League government. “The bridge will be risky one,” she said, urging people not to use it.

Alleging that the Awami League is a more repressive state than than the Pakistani, Khaleda said, “The government has turned Bangladesh into a prison. Here, only Sheikh Hasina and Awami League are free.”

The former premier alleged that there is no democracy in the country as it is being governed by the will of one person.

“We want to say, the country cannot be run on the will of one person. People of the country did not fight the liberation war for that.”

Khaleda alleged that former chief justice Sk Sinha was forced to resign from the office. “But till now, [no new] chief justice was not appointed.  Their (government) intention does not seem good. Mr Moudud said that post cannot be kept vacant for a single day.”