A proposal for amending the Representation of the People Order will be placed in the cabinet meeting today to pave the way for the use of Electronic Voting Machines in polls.

If the cabinet approves the proposal, it will be sent as a bill to parliament for passage, Law Minister Anisul Huq told reporters.

The Election Commission approved the amendment proposal despite opposition from one of its members and sent it to the law ministry in September.

Mahbub Talukdar, one of the five commissioners, walked out of an EC meeting, giving a note of dissent on the move to approve the amendment proposal.

The EC on Saturday exhibited the machines in eight districts amid protests by opposition parties against using them in the coming polls.

Turnout at the exhibitions in Chattogram, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Faridpur, Mymensingh, Rangpur and Cumilla was really low.

At the Khulna exhibition, CEC KM Nurul Huda said the EVMs were being introduced as a permanent means of protecting the voters' interest through ensuring transparency of vote management.

There would be no scope for hijacking ballot papers, stuffing boxes or casting of one person's vote by another, he added.

On September 18, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approved a Tk-3,825 crore project to purchase 1.5 lakh EVMs in three phases in the next five years.

Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal at the time said EVMs might be used on a limited scale in the next election in urban areas.

Different political parties, including the BNP, have been opposing the use of EVMs in the next election.

The Election Commission has said that it is actively considering the installation of CCTV cameras at polling stations for the transparency of elections and also reviewing the matter of using electronic voting machines (EVMs).

The EC in letters to discussants -- who had joined the ongoing talks with the commission -- informed them that it would cordially try to ensure free movement of all approved journalists, and national and international observers inside polling centres.

The EC issued the letter on May 18 and several discussants confirmed today (May 24, 2022) that they received the letter.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal today at a press conference said that they are reviewing the suggestions of discussants who had joined the dialogue.

He also said that they had sent letters to the discussants informing EC's decision.

The commission held a series of dialogues with various professional groups and politicians for recommendations on how to hold free and fair elections since March 13. So far, four phases of talks were held.

According to EC letter, many of the discussants during dialogue recommended setting up CCTV cameras at polling centres for transparency in elections, and appointing commission officials, instead of deputy commissioners, as returning officers during the national polls.

Discussants also recommended for staggered elections, and ensuring of free movement of journalist at polling centre. They also said that election should be participatory with participation of major political parties.

Voting should be held using ballot papers unless it was ensured that there will be no misuse of EVM machines, they had suggested.

EC in the letter said that they have already held several meetings to stop misuse of EVMs. They will sit with experts to have further review of EVMs.

EC also said that they evaluating pros and cons of holding staggered elections.

At least 15 people were injured and 13 others arrested over violence in two districts yesterday, two days before the 11th parliamentary polls.

In Noakhali, three youths were injured in an explosion while making bombs in Companiganj upazila's Chairman Bari area in the morning, police said.

Law enforcers could not confirm the identities of the injured.

Polls violence subsided yesterday as the number of such incidents and casualties decreased compared to the last few days.

Meanwhile, Awami League Joint General Secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak yesterday alleged that six ruling party men were killed by BNP men during electioneering.

“BNP men attacked and injured 445 leaders and activists of our party and vandalised 174 election camps. We urge the police to arrest these hoodlums,” Nanak said at a press conference at the AL chief's Dhanmondi office in the capital.

According to media reports, motorcades and polls campaigns of at least 56 candidates, mostly of the BNP's, came under attack; some 1,190 people were injured and over 800 BNP-Jamaat men arrested during the electioneering between December 10 and 28 for the parliamentary polls.

Campaigning for tomorrow's national election ended at 8:00am yesterday.

At least 15 people were wounded in a clash between supporters of AL nominee Kazi Zafarullah and independent candidate Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury, widely known as Nixon Chowdhury, in Faridpur-4 yesterday over establishing supremacy in Bhanga upazila's Moheshwardi village.

Witnesses said supporters of the two rival candidates were campaigning informally in the village around noon. At one stage, they got involved in an altercation and clashed using lethal weapons.

Police and BGB teams later rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

Talking to journalists, Nixon's supporter Md Azam alleged that two supporters of Zafarullah beat him up without provocation.

Ashad Matubbar, supporter of the AL candidate, claimed Azam phoned him and threatened not to seek vote for ZafarUllah.

Both the rival groups denied the allegations against each other.

Additional policemen were deployed in the area to avoid further violence.

In Chandpur, police picked up 13 alleged BNP men following a clash between “criminals” and the opposition party men at the Rupsha house of Chandpur-4 BNP candidate Harunur Rashid in Faridganj upazila around noon.

Witness said a group of bike-riding criminals reached near Rashid's house and attacked it. As the BNP men tried to resist the attackers, the clash broke out.

Police later brought the situation under control.

Faridganj OC Ohidul Islam said they picked up 13 people in connection with the incident. The BNP claimed the arrestees to be its activists.

In Sunamganj, police arrested BNP leaders Abdul Motaleb Khan, also chairman of Dharmapasha upazila, and Harunur Rashid, former general secretary of Dowarabazar upazila BNP yesterday evening.

Police said the two were accused in sabotage cases.

N'GANJ CANDIDATE QUITS RACE

In Narayanganj-3, independent candidate Abdullah Al Kaiser last night announced that he was withdrawing from the polls in the face of pressure from the administration and considering the security of his supporters.

He made the announcement while talking to journalists at his Mograpara home in Sonargaon upazila around 9:00pm, hours after a joint team of police, BGB and Rab, led by an executive magistrate, raided his house.

Sazzad Roman, inspector (Special Branch) of Narayanganj police, said the raid was conducted on information that Kaiser was holding a “secret meeting” to commit subversive activities.

Shahinur Rahman, assistant returning officer in the district, said he didn't receive any compliant from any candidate about facing pressure from the administration.

In Tangail-3, BNP candidate Lutfar Rahman Khan Azad at a press conference yesterday demanded withdrawal of Maksudul Alam and Amirul Islam, officer-in-charge of Ghatail Police Station and in-charge of Dhalapara Police Outpost, for allegedly threatening his possible polling agents not to go to the polling centres on the voting day.

Amirul, however, denied the allegation.

Despite repeated attempts, The Daily Star could not reach Maksudul over the phone for comments.

In Cumilla, police were forced to release an AL man after the ruling party activists laid seize to Kotwali Model Police Station yesterday.

Police detained Syed Raihan, 40, son of local AL leader Abir Ahmed Photo, also a ward councillor of Cumilla City Corporation, in the city around 2:00pm.

Hearing the news, around 500 AL men laid seize to the police station. Law enforcers freed the detainee around 4:45pm, said locals.

Talking to journalists, Abir said, “Police detained Raihan from Mogoltuli area after Juma prayers without any specific allegation. Locals protested the incident and laid seize to the police station demanding his release.”

Abu Salam Mia, OC of the police station, said Raihan was detained due to a “misunderstanding”.

In Meherpur, criminals hurled two bombs at the house of district BNP Joint Secretary Abdul Awal Biswas in Gangni upazila's Bamundi village around 9:30pm on Thursday.

On the same night, Faridpur police in separate drives arrested seven BNP men from different areas of Boalmari Municipality.

Our district correspondents contributed to this report. 

Voters in Netrokona-4 had high hopes for a tough race as three women with graduate degrees were running for parliament from there.

But the situation on the ground was just like in any other constituency in Bangladesh. Ruling party men, in cases helped by law enforcers, were virtually controlling the electioneering and supporters of opposition candidates were panicking.

During 12 days of campaigning, 15 cases were filed with three police stations accusing over 1,000 BNP men of sabotage and subversive activities. Local BNP leaders claimed those were false cases.

Former BNP home minister Lutfuzzaman Babar's son Labib Zaman was also accused in three such cases.

Incumbent Rebecca Momin, wife of Awami League's former food minister Abdul Momin; and Tahmina Zaman, wife of Babar, are running in the constituency that had elected their husbands. The other female candidate Joly Talukder of Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) is a well-known workers' leader.

Voters claimed that they were expecting a tough fight in the haor-based constituency, consisting of Mohanganj, Madan, and Khaliajuri upazilas, that have been lagging behind in terms of development.

In the constituency about 30km away from Netrakona town, this correspondent saw vigorous electioneering by the ruling party men and hardly any campaign activity of the BNP.

The BNP's Mohanganj upazila office on Monday was found closed. Locals said the office had been closed for several days.

“There are problems,” was all that Sujan Mia, a tea seller nearby, agreed to say.

Some 100 metres away, the Awami League office was fully functional. SMA Ferdous, organising secretary of Mohanganj upazila AL, said their campaigning was going well.

“Every day, Rebecca Momin is visiting people in different areas and asking for votes. Besides, our area-based camps are also working.”

Another 23 kilometres away at Babar's house in Madan upazila, a few posters and banners of Tahmina Zaman were seen.

A marquee was set up and around 100 BNP leaders and activists were seen seated.

The BNP men said their electioneering has been on hold for the last seven days amid police harassment; they could only campaign in three unions.

“We are on the run. Almost all our leaders are accused and police are carrying out raids regularly,” said Mustafizur Rahman Titu, a BNP leader. Around 65 of their activists have been arrested since campaigning began, he added.

Nurul Alam, president of Madan upazila BNP, claimed they were on a road-show on December 15 when police suddenly prevented their rally and attacked them in Kaitail union.

“But three cases were filed against us the next day. Our leader's son Labib, who came from Dhaka only to take part in the campaign for his mother, was made the prime accused,” said Alam.

According to the case statement, police fired 61 shots and one gas canister on that day.

Alam said police and DB raided Babar's house on the night of December 16. “Is this a level-playing field?”

Of the 15 cases, nine were filed with Madan Police Station. The Daily Star obtained copies of the nine. Noteworthy, the cases filed on December 18, 22, and 23 all have the same text but the names, places, times and dates have been changed.

Refuting allegations, Ramijul Haque, officer-in-charge of Madan Police Station, said the cases were filed on valid grounds.

BNP men said they are confident of victory in the constituency, if a fair election is held. AL men said Rebecca's honesty and promises of development were their strengths.

The AL and BNP have fought hard for this seat since 1991. Babar won the race in 1991, while Momin won the next in 1996. Babar again won in 2001, while Momin's wife Rebecca won the polls in 2008. In 2014, Rebecca won uncontested.

The government will make all-out efforts to bring opposition BNP to the next parliamentary election, slated for late next year.

Besides, the ruling Awami League will participate in the polls with its 14-party allies, said party sources.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the AL chief, said this at a meeting of the AL Central Working Committee (ALCWC), the highest decision-making body of the party, at the Gono Bhaban last night.

She also said voting in all 300 parliamentary constituencies will be held using electronic voting machines (EVM), meeting sources said.

At one point, AL presidium member Shajahan Khan wanted to know whether the party and the government would take any initiative to bring the BNP to the next national polls.

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In response, Hasina said her party will take every initiative to bring the opposition party to the election, the sources added.

After boycotting the 2014 parliamentary polls, the BNP contested the last general election and also took part in elections to local government bodies with its electoral symbol "sheaf of paddy". But the party recently boycotted local government polls saying that free and fair elections are not possible under the current administration.

Photo: PID

At the meeting last night, Hasina said the next general election will be held in a free and credible manner and it would be a participatory one.

She said her government would provide all-out support to the Election Commission to hold a credible election.

The PM criticised some of her party leaders, saying those who are not confident about their win don't want BNP to take part in the national polls.

She also said conspiracies are afoot to make the next national polls controversial. Naming Dr Kamal Hossain of Gonoforum, Mahmudur Rahman Manna of Nagorik Oikya and Reza Kibria of Bangladesh Gono Odhikar Parishad, she said they can do nothing, said the sources.

The AL chief also said 14-party alliance is with her party and it will contest the next general election with the "ideological partners". She asked the party leaders to maintain good relations with the allies. 

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AL confident in new EC as BNP, JP express doubt over free, fair elections

Hasina also suggested maintaining close relations with friendly countries who, she thinks, would be a factor in the next polls.

She asked her party leaders to prepare for the election and also for the AL's tri-annual conference and advised them to complete all district conferences within December. The tenure of the current central committee of the AL will expire that month.

Talking tough on the party's rebel candidates, the PM said those who contest local body elections against party candidates can't be contenders at the grassroots councils, said sources.

"Election will be held using EVM and it would be a participatory one. Don't think you will win the election only on the party ticket. You will have to win by dint of your popularity and merit," an AL central leader who participated in the meeting quoted Hasina as saying.

The PM's hints at all-EVM JS polls come when Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal several times said they were yet to make any decision about using EVMs in elections and they were studying the system.

Earlier in March when the newly constituted EC sat with civil society members and other professionals, eminent citizens opined that the commission should refrain from using EVMs in polls unless there is consensus regarding the use of the technology.

They also urged the EC to take steps to restore people's trust in it.

UNB reports: The PM in her introductory speech said her party always comes to power through elections, never by the backdoor.

The premier thanked the people for repeatedly voting her party to power.

"Due to this, the country witnessed massive development in the last 13 years, leading to rise in the people's living standards," she said.

The AL chief underscored the need for strengthening the party as the national election is due late next year.

She said her successive governments since 2009 gave importance to developing the rural areas.

"As a result, the infrastructure in rural areas have improved a lot and people could go to their village homes smoothly."

She mentioned that during the Eid-ul-Fitr this year, people could go to their villages without facing hassles. She thanked the road transport minister for this.