EC to use EVMs, CCTV cameras in 5 city polls: Rasheda

Election Commissioner Begum Rasheda Sultana on Wednesday said Electronic Voting Machines ( EVMs) and CCTV cameras will be used in the upcoming city polls, but they were not sure about using them in next general election.

The Election Commission is preparing to hold city corporation polls in Barishal, Gazipur, Khulna, Rajshahi, and Sylhet between June and September ahead of the next national election.

Rasheda Sultana made the comment while replying to various questions of journalists at her office in the election building.

Regarding the use of CCTV cameras, she said: “We will use CCTV cameras in the five city elections to be held this year.”

"Voting will be done by using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The decision to use CCTV cameras in the national elections is yet to be decided. But I cannot say what is going happen in the future. But we have positive mindset in this regard," she said.

The EC is legally obliged to hold election to a city corporation in the last 180 days of the corporation's five-year tenure.

The EC will have to hold Gazipur City Corporation polls between March 11 and September 10, Khulna City Corporation and Rajshahi City Corporation polls between April 13 and October 10, Barishal City Corporation polls between May 14 and November 13, and Sylhet City Corporation polls between May 6 and November 5.

Ruling Awami League leaders Talukder Abdul Khaleque was elected mayor of Khulna city on May 15, 2018, and Zahangir Alam of Gazipur city on June 26, 2018.

AL leaders AHM Khairuzzaman Liton and Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah and BNP leader Ariful Haque Chowdhury were elected mayors of Rajshahi, Barishal, and Sylhet cities respectively. All three elections were held on July 30, 2018.