Differences of opinion on the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the next national polls are widening among political parties with almost half of the registered ones opposed to electronic voting.

Nineteen out of 39 registered political parties are directly opposed to use of EVMs. Among them are the main opposition in parliament, Jatiya Party, and the BNP.

The ruling Awami League, however, is in favour of EVM use.

The nine parties, including BNP and Communist Party of Bangladesh, who skipped the recent talks with the Election Commission do not want EVMs in the next Jatiya Sangsad polls, scheduled to be held in late December 2023 or early January 2024.

Ten political parties out of the 28 who took part in the talks said they were against the use of EVMs. Among them were Jatiya Party and Gono Forum.

Only three political parties, the AL and its allies Samyabadi Dal and Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, said they want the machines in the next general election.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Election Commissioner Md Alamgir yesterday said they were yet to make any decision on EVM use.

"We will assess if any modifications to the EVMs are needed before making a final decision in about a month on whether the machines would be used," he said.

During the talks with the EC, Bangladesh Tariqat Federation, another member of the AL-led 14-party alliance, suggested that the commission use EVMs in 150 constituencies.

Twelve political parties, including alliance components Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Inu) and Workers Party, gave conditions for using EVMs. Workers Party recommended adding voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) to the machines while JSD (Inu) suggested making the machines technically flawless.

Two political parties did not clear their stance on this issue.

The EVM issue came to the fore after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on May 7 said voting machines would be used in all 300 constituencies in the next national election.

Hasina, also the AL president, made the comment at a meeting of the party's Central Working Committee, its highest decision-making body.

Opposition to the EVM use grew louder after a chaotic scene unfolded shortly before the announcement of the unofficial results of the Cumilla City Corporation polls on June 16.

The BNP and its allies have long been opposing the use of EVMs in polls, saying that the devices would allow the ruling party to "steal votes".

BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan on Sunday alleged that the AL was plotting to rig votes in the next general election using the EVMs to cling on to power.

During the AL's dialogue with the EC on Sunday, party General Secretary Obaidul Quader said they want EVMs be used in all 300 parliamentary constituencies as they thought there was no alternative to it to prevent vote rigging.

The same day, Jatiya Party Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu told the EC during the talks that they did not not want EVMs in the next national election as neither they nor the people of the country have any confidence in the machines.

Apart from Jatiya Party, nine other parties directly opposed the use of EVM during their dialogues with EC that started on July 17. The parties are: Gono Forum, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, Bangladesh Islami Front, Revolutionary Workers Party, Khelafat Majlis, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon, Bangladesh Muslim League, Jamiat e Ulama e Islam Bangladesh, and Bangladesh National Awami Party (Bangladesh Nap).

Top leaders of seven political parties who abstained from the talks, told The Daily Star that they were against the use of EVMs. The parties are: Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Bangladesh Kalyan Party, Bangladesh Muslim League (BML), Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP).

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rob) in a statement last week expressed reservations about the use of EVMs.

The EC in June held a series of views-exchange meetings on EVM with 28 political parties. Four of them said that they were against the use of EVMs in national elections.

Four parties, including the AL, supported EVM use.

Twelve parties expressed doubts about the use of EVM and eight others did not make a clear stance on the issue.

Five out of 11 parties who skipped the meetings were directly against the use of the machine. The five included the BNP.