Experts see no way to manipulate Election Commission’s e-voting machine

A group of experts have said they see no scope for manipulation in the Election Commission’s electronic voting machines or EVMs.

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal urged the political parties to keep faith in the experts after the group comprising of former and current officials and university teachers examined the machines on Wednesday.

Dr Muhammed Zafar Iqbal said he was “convinced” that the machines are “perfect”.

He is a former professor of computer science and engineering and ex-head of the department of electrical and electronic engineering at the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology,

Prof Zafar Iqbal said the biometric data stored in the national ID server have made it almost impossible for a person to cast someone else’s vote.

“I don’t see any space for manipulation for now. It’s not possible for a person to reach the level from where these machines can be manipulated.”

M Kaykobad, a former professor at the computer science and engineering department of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, said no one can make changes to the machines as per their wish because all the parts are custom-made.

“No machine can be fully trusted, but here no work is left at the machine level, so there’s no scope for manipulation.”

He emphasised improving the machines further so that they can make calculations for statistics.

After their inception in 2010, EVMs were used in local government elections. The Election Commission led by ATM Shamsul Huda had used it in the city corporation polls but not in the parliamentary election.

In 2012, the EC headed by Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad left the EVMs almost out. They were not even used in city corporation elections.

The Nurul Huda-led commission overhauled the EVM system and after quite an effort used it for voting in six constituencies following the amendment of a law.

Now the Kazi Habibul Awal-led commission is trying to use the EVM system in the next parliamentary polls and the plan has triggered fresh debate.

The ruling Awami League has always endorsed EVMs, while the BNP fiercely opposes any such plan. The opposition party accuses the government of rigging votes by manipulating electronic voting.

Asked about the BNP’s doubt, Prof Zafar Iqbal said, “It depends on them whether they will trust the machines or not. I’ve made my points on technical matters. Any machine can malfunction, but in that case there’s technology to replace them.”

Prof Kaykobad said the EC should make the machines available to all the parties and citizens for examination.

CEC Awal said they have a plan to invite the political parties and their experts to have a look at the machines.

He said the commission will seek specific information from the opposition parties if they can find any flaws in the EVMs.

He also said the commission will decide later whether to use the machines in all 300 seats in the next parliamentary elections, or in 100 constituencies or to scrap them altogether.

“The experts have said that there is no scope for manipulation here. We must keep faith in the people who understand these things.”