EC unveils road map to next JS polls; EVMs to be used in highest 150 seats

The Election Commission (EC) has announced the road map to the 12th parliamentary elections in a bid to hold the polls in a free, fair and credible manner.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal unveil the road map at the auditorium of Election Commission Secretariat on Wednesday.

Mentioning that the elections will be held at the end of December 2023 or in the first week of January 2024, the CEC said the exact schedule will be announced in November next year.

“We decided to cap the use of EVMs (electronic voting machines) in a maximum of 150 constituencies considering challenges surrounding the next general polls,” he said.

Some 15 months are left before the next general election as the EC is working with a plan to hold the election in January, 2024.

The EC took the decision to use EVMs in 150 seats despite opposition from nine political parties, including BNP and Jatiya Party, to the use of the device.

The commission currently has 1.5 lakh EVMs with which it is possible to hold voting in maximum 70 seats.

Therefore, 1.5 lakh new EVMs will have to be purchased to conduct voting in 150 seats through the device.

In the 11th parliamentary elections held on December 30, 2018, voting through EVMs was conducted in only six constituencies.