Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division has proposed a new mobile application, “Voter Bondhu” (Friend of voters), aimed at offering essential information for voters and streamlining the election process.
A team from the division’s BGD e-Gov CIRT Project met Election Commission (EC) last month to present the app’s framework, features, and functionality.
According to officials, the proposed app will allow voters to access candidate information, submit complaints directly to EC, view polling station details, and track election results. ICT Division claims the platform will be more mobile-friendly and easier for users to navigate than existing tools.
However, EC already has a similar app—Smart Election Management BD—developed ahead of the 12th parliamentary polls. EC sources said both apps offer nearly the same features. Therefore, after reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of the two platforms, it was decided that ICT Division and EC should coordinate to develop a single, more effective application.
A senior ICT official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a demo of “Voter Bondhu” was shown during the meeting. “Voters will be able to submit complaints and access all election-related information, including detailed candidate profiles, on a single platform,” the official said.
Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, adviser to the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, also took part in the discussions.
But several concerns have already surfaced. The ICT app is not fully tested, and it remains unclear who will input election data or manage the platform. There are gaps in compliance with electoral laws and regulations, and EC has insisted that any new system must strictly adhere to legal requirements.
ICT officials have been asked to work closely with the EC’s technical and legal teams to resolve these issues. EC will retain control over the app’s operations.
EC Additional Secretary KM Ali Newaz told TIMES of Bangladesh, “Most features of the ICT app already exist in our current platform. We have asked them to identify gaps without violating election law. Our technical, legal, and election management teams will coordinate to ensure smooth integration.”
When asked whether multiple apps are necessary, he said, “Having more than one app is not a problem. It does not incur additional cost for EC, as ICT Division can manage the development.”
Still, the discussion has revived questions around the country’s earlier investment in election technology. Ahead of the 12th parliamentary elections, EC under Kazi Habibul Awal spent nearly Tk 21 crore to develop the Smart Election Management BD app and website. The platform was designed to support online nomination submission, provide polling station information, and update election results every two hours.
In practice, only 21 nominations were submitted online during that election. Technical issues on voting day prevented the app from functioning smoothly, and the benefits of the large investment were largely unrealised. The current commission has since abolished the online nomination system altogether.
With a new app now under consideration—even if the cost is expected to be covered by ICT Division—the debate over efficiency, coordination, and the value of public spending on digital election tools is likely to continue, especially as both agencies work to decide whether “Voter Bondhu” will replace, merge with, or duplicate the system already paid for just a year ago.
