EC plans to use DVM in Rangpur city polls

The Election Commission (EC) is planning to use Digital Voting Machines (DVMs) in the Rangpur City Corporation elections, scheduled to be held in December. “We are planning to use DVMs on experimental basis in one or more wards of Rangpur City Corporation. We will work to this effect and try to use DVM after assessing the feasibility," EC Secretary Muhammad Abdullah told media Wednesday after a meeting of the election commissioners. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda chaired the meeting at Sher-e-Banglanagar EC secretariat, reports BSS. Election Commissioners Mahbub Talukder, Md Rafiqul Islam and Brigadier General (Retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury attended the meeting. The Election Commission decided to hold the Rangpur City Corporation election in late December this year. There are 33 general wards in Rangpur city while 11 more are reserved for women. There will be 182 possible polling stations in the city polls. The maiden election of the city was held on December 20, 2012. However, the EC did not hold any discussion about elections to five other city corporations -- Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal, Sylhet and Gazipur -- where five-year tenures of elected representatives will expire in 2018.