EC finds 40,000 stored EVMs defective

The Election Commission (EC) has found some 40,000 electronic voting machines (EVMs) stored by them defective, EVM Project Director Syed Raquibul Hasan said on Wednesday (February 8).

The defective EVMs have been sent to the Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory for repair, he said while talking to the reporters after a meeting on EVM at the EC secretariat in Agargaon in the capital.

“Some 40,000 EVMs have been found defective so far after scrutiny. The remaining 1.10 lakh EVMs have been kept ready for voting,” said Raquibul Hasan.

EVM Project Director Syed Raquibul Hasan

According to the EC, out of the total 1.5 lakh EVMs purchased in 2018, some 1.10 lakh EVMs including 70,000 stored in Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory and 40,000 in another storeroom are now operational for voting.

“Improper storing of the EVMs after each election and carelessness and negligence in maintenance have made the EVMs useless,” he said.