The Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) project will be extended by a full year. The Election Commission's (EC) Additional Secretary, Ashok Kumar Debnath, declared that to the reporters at the Agargaon election commission building in the capital on Sunday.
"The ongoing EVM project will now continue until June 30 next year. Further steps will be taken based on consultations with political parties and technical experts," stated Debnath.
The use of EVMs has been a topic of discussion in Bangladesh's electoral processes in recent years. Initially planned for 150 constituencies in the 12th National Assembly elections, the deployment faced setbacks due to insufficient EVM availability.
Initiated in 2018 at a cost of Tk 3,825,240,000, the project involved the purchase of 150,000 EVMs at Tk 2 lakh each. Despite their expected lifespan of 10 years, maintenance issues have rendered over 100,000 EVMs non-operational within five years.
With the current project term nearing its end, the EC has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Planning for a one-year extension. Additionally, they have requested expedited funding of approximately Tk 100 crore to cover outstanding costs and ensure project continuity.
The decision rests with the Planning Ministry, and if approved, the extension will mark a renewed effort to address operational challenges and sustain the EVM initiative effectively.
