C T Online Desk: The Election Commission has chosen to opt out of using electronic voting in favour of paper ballots.
The Election Commission has decided to only use paper ballots for all 300 parliamentary seats up for grabs in the upcoming general election.
The decision was made at a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal at its headquarters in Dhaka’s Agargaon on Monday.
Election commissioners Ahsan Habib Khan, Rashida Sultana, Md Alamgir and Anisur Rahman were also present at the meeting, Md Jahangir Alam, the EC secretary, said.
The EC held its 17th meeting on Monday and the use of electronic voting machines for the next general election was on the agenda.
The 12th national parliamentary elections will be held within seven months. As the general election nears, the EC is making many of the major decisions on how it will be organised.
The use of EVMs, reforms of electoral laws, demarcation of constituencies, registration of new political parties, the registration of observer organisations, and policies for media personnel, all have to be decided prior to the election.
The EC is also holding five city elections before the general election.
The Gazipur city polls will be held on May 25, the Khulna and Barishal polls on Jun 12, and the Rajshahi and Sylhet polls on Jun 21, EC Secretary Jahangir Alam announced after the meeting on Monday.
