Dhaka, July 3 (V7N) — The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has interrogated three officials of the Bangladesh Election Commission (EC) over allegations of purchasing Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at prices nearly ten times higher than market value, causing an estimated government loss of nearly Tk 3,172 crore.

The case involves the procurement of 150,000 allegedly substandard EVMs without any feasibility study or open tender process. The machines were reportedly bought directly from the Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory under the tenure of former Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda. He, along with several other officials, faces accusations of abuse of power, irregularities, and violations of government financial regulations.

On Wednesday, three EC officials appeared before the ACC headquarters in Dhaka for questioning:

  • Md. Farhad Hossain, Deputy Secretary (Current Charge), EC Secretariat

  • Muhammad Ashraf Hossain, Senior Maintenance Engineer

  • Farzana Akhter, System Analyst

Three other officials who were also summoned did not appear. They are:

  • Md. Saiful Haque Chowdhury, Deputy Chief, EC Secretariat

  • Mahfuzul Haque, Assistant Chief

  • A.H.M. Abdur Rahim Khan, IT System Consultant

The ACC launched a formal inquiry into the matter on March 20, led by Assistant Director Md. Rakibul Hayat and a three-member investigative team. The commission is currently examining whether the procured EVMs met quality standards and if the price per machine was justified in light of actual market conditions.

Evidence gathered during the investigation will be compiled into a report. Based on its findings, legal action will be taken in accordance with the Commission’s decision. Officials from both the EC and the Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory are expected to be summoned for further questioning in the coming stages.

The case is considered one of the largest corruption investigations involving electoral procurement in Bangladesh’s recent history.

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