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EC Secretariat signs deal with Teletalk

Monday, 28 July 2008


The Election Commission (EC) Secretariat signed Sunday an agreement with mobile phone operator Teletalk Bangladesh Ltd to facilitate quick information for the people about the August 4 elections to four city corporations and nine municipalities, reports UNB.

EC Secretary M Humayun Kabir and Managing Director of Teletalk Bangladesh Ltd Mohammad Mujibur Rahman signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides at the conference room of EC Secretariat.

Terming the agreement experimental, the EC secretary said that if it proved successful, steps would be taken to extend the services during the Upazila and parliamentary elections.

Information security would be ensured under the arrangement, he added.

According to a Teletalk press release, any mobile subscriber, by sending SMS, will be able to know all relevant information including the polling centres in their respective areas.

The subscribers can get the desired information sending SMS to 2233 after typing EC and their 13-digit national identity (NID) number.

The subscribers of Grameenphone, Aktel and Banglalink will also get the service using the IVR technology by dialing 2233 from their mobile sets.

The Election Commission's initiative, first in Bangladesh, will also be to provide the service through Bangla SMS.

The initiative, taken by the EC Secretariat with technical assistance of Teletalk Bangladesh Ltd, can be considered a "milestone" in e-governance in the country, said the Teletalk release.