Efforts on to bring BNP to national polls: EC

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Thursday said efforts are still there to bring BNP to the next general elections although it has rejected the EC's requests for dialogue time and again.

"We sent letters to BNP time and again for joining dialogue regarding its participation in the next general elections . . . but they rejected it," he told journalists after a view-exchange meeting with the government officials at the Deputy Commissioner's office in Patuakhali district.

He said BNP is strict in its demand for the formation of a non-party government and reconstitution of the Election Commission.

The CEC said EVMs will be used in the by-elections to the parliament seats vacated following BNP's MPs resignation. The EC has no capacity to install CCTVs in the polling centres during the by-polls to these seats, he added.

About the EVMs, he also said at present the EC has the capacity to use EVMs in 50 to 60 seats only. Funds has already been sought to the government for purchasing EVMs, he said, adding that purchasing of EVMs is depending on the availability of that fund as the EC has a plan to use EVMs in 150 seats in the next parliament elections.

About the present stock of EVMs, he said some EVMs are totally out of order while some machines are still reparable. For maintenance of the EVMs, the EC has submitted a project proposal to the government, which are now under the planning ministry's consideration.

Deputy commissioner of Patuakhali Md Shariful Islam chaired the event while EC secretary Md Jahangir Alam, Police Super Saidul Islam and Barishal regional election officer Md Alauddin, among others, were present.

Source: BSS