Election costs. Item 1: Ballot boxes

First in a series of posts that will examine the cost of the election. The purpose is to serve as a check and balance, and also to educate the powers that be.

Transparent ballot boxes has been demanded by our politicians (when they are not in power) for a long time. Canada had previously offered to provide them, but now Bangladesh is planning on making them locally at the Gazipur Machine Tools Factory. Lets look at the numbers:

(figures from Daily Star)

• 2,400,000 ballot boxes (24 lacs, if you want to count the Bangladeshi way)
• Tk. 1800-4000 per box, depending on the type of plastic used
• Previous wooden or tin boxes: Tk. 985.

Total costs assuming the low figure: Tk. 43,20,00,000 (Taka 43.2 crore) = US $ 6,171,428

(assuming $1= Tk. 70), and Tk. 96,00,00,000 for the high figure of Tk. 4000/box.

So ladies and gentlemen, may we present the Six Million Dollar boxes.

Time calculation:

These are plastic boxes, which will be glued and screwed together. Lets assume each box will take 10 minutes to manufacture from start to end. (a very conservative estimate). At that rate, one worker will make 6 boxes per hour, 48 in a day, 1056 in a month with 22 working days. So the 2.4 million boxes will take 2272 man-months. To finish the work in 12 months, it will require 189 workers; 18 months will require 126 people.

OK, there you have it:

Somewhere between 125-190 people

working for 12-18 months

will be able to make the 2.4 million boxes

at a cost of beween Tk. 43 crore - Tk. 96 crore (US$6.1 million - US$13.7 million)