Gazipur City polls: EVM malfunctions at multiple centres soon after voting begins

As voting in Gazipur City Corporation began this morning, an electronic voting machine (EVM) in two of the centres malfunctioned. 

One of the EVMs broke down in the poling centre situated in Madhavpur Government Primary School, said Abdul Motaleb, presiding officer of the centre told The Business Standard (TBS).

The process of setting up another EVM machine is going on there, he added. 

"We have a problem with one of the EVM voting machines in room no 7. We are working to install a new machine. We have 8 polling booths and 12 EVMs. So if any of the EVMs malfunctions, they can be replaced," he added. 

Other EVMs in the voting centre are working properly.

A 50-year-old voter named Jahura Khatun told TBS, "I came at 6:30am and could not vote till now. Voting started at 8am, and only 2-3 people managed to vote in the last half an hour."

"I came early in the morning with enthusiasm, but how long will I stand like this?" she asked. 

Another voter named Mostafizur Rahman, expressing his anger about EVM, told TBS, "It is the first time that voting is being done using EVM, but there was no training for us voters. Also, officials at the centres are also not skilled in operating EVMs due to which we have to stand in line for a long time." 

Meanwhile, a significant presence of voters was seen in the centre since morning, but while standing in the voter line, a large number of voters were seen hanging cards with various symbols including the boat symbol, around their necks.

When asked, one of the supporters named Rahat said, "Everyone here is a voter, and many have cards of their favourite candidates hung around their necks."

EVM remains inactive for 2 hours in Konabari Degree College

The EVM machine at booth no. 6 at Konabari Degree College voting centre in Ward No. 8 remained inactive for two hours.

Though voters of other booths finished voting, a queue of 30-40 people remained stuck at this booth.

The EVM broke down after 1 hour of polling. Then around 11:30am a new machine was brought and connected.

A voter named Beauty Akhter told TBS, "I have been stuck here for almost two hours. The line is never ending. Voting was stopped at this booth for almost two hours."

Chinu Rani Sarkar told TBS that polling stopped an hour after it started in the morning.

Sathi Akhtar said that 30-35 people could vote in the morning. Now after installing the new machine four to five people have voted.

Presiding officer Abdul Matin told TBS, there was a problem with the machine here for 10/15 minutes. Later we installed new machines. Voting is going on through it.