Bangladesh Election Commission’s election app crashes on eve of polling date

Dhaka [Bangladesh]: The Bangladesh Election Commission’s election application, “Smart Election Management BD” crashed on the eve of general elections scheduled to be held on January 7, as reported by the Dhaka Tribune. 

The Tk21 crore app, launched by the Election Commission for voters to find election-related details, including polling centre locations, stopped working a day before the polling date. 

Election Commission Secretary Jahangir Alam, along with other officials, announced on Monday that voters could use the app to find out their voting centres from that day forward. 
However, voters reported that they were unable to access the app, despite multiple attempts since the evening, according to the Dhaka Tribune. 

EC System Manager Ashraf Hossain said that the issue with accessing the app was temporary and was expected to be resolved shortly. 

He added that the app’s inaccessibility could be due to the number of users exceeding its capacity. 

The Election Commission has launched a mobile app called “Smart Election Management BD” available for download from the Apple Store or Play Store. 

After installation, the users need to input their date of birth and voter ID card number to access a wealth of information, including current parliament elections, voter ID number, assigned polling station with its address, and the voting serial number. 

Moreover, the app also provides details about other voters in the same constituency and information about candidates, including their symbols, reported Dhaka Tribune. 
Additionally, the app facilitates real-time updates by the commission and provides election-center-wise vote counts every two hours, and the app serves as a convenient tool for voters to access essential election-related information. 

Bangladesh is set to hold elections on January 7. On Thursday, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged people to exercise their voting rights in Sunday’s election to prove that democracy prevails in Bangladesh. 
“Today I’ve appeared before you to ask for votes in favour of the symbol, Boat,” she said in a televised address to the nation, her final campaign speech before the January 7 national election to form the country’s 12th parliament.