The Anti-Corruption Commission will probe why experts, including Professor Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, found the electronic voting machines suitable, despite allegations of the substandard quality of the EVMs.
The ACC director general for prevention Md Aktar Hossain came up with the information at a press briefing at the commission鈥檚 headquarters in Dhaka.
He also said that a drive was conducted by an ACC team on Sunday at the Election Commission building, following allegations that the EC procured substandard EVMs using public funds.
The ACC team, during the drive, reviewed the relevant records and found that the purchased EVMs were stored at the EC鈥檚 headquarters, 10 regional offices, and the Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory.
The EC officials, however, could not account for the whereabouts of 1,599 machines, said the ACC official.
The team also observed that the stored EVMs were neglected and poorly maintained, with many appearing to be non-operational.
Out of the 618 machines stored at the EC headquarters, a random test of a few machines revealed the mechanical defects, confirming that the machines were of substandard quality.
ACC DG Aktar Hossain also said that experts present during the ACC drive opined that the EVMs were not of acceptable quality.
He also said the commission had deemed it necessary to investigate on what basis renowned experts like Professor Zafar Iqbal had previously found these machines to be suitable.
