In view of stopping public sufferings, the Election Commission (EC) has clearly directed its field officials to continue the registration of new National Identity Cards (NID) and its amendment, alongside the ongoing tasks of the 12th National Parliamentary Elections.
The EC came up with the directives following allegation of harassment to mass people against some of the field officials, who have been refusing to provide NID services, citing the election schedule as an excuse.
The EC emphasises that a valid NID is now mandatory, and no citizen should be denied this essential service.
To ensure that all eligible citizens have access to NIDs, Senior Assistant Secretary of EC (Election Support Wing) Nasir Uddin Chowdhury sent the instructions to all regional officers, district election officers, and upazila election officers.
The decision to continue NID-related activities was made at the 24th meeting of the Election Commission on 5 October.
In preparation for the 12th Jatiya Sangsad elections, the EC instructed field officials to complete new NID registrations by September 14 and voter transfers by September 30.
Despite the September 14 deadline, citizens continue to apply for NIDs to fulfill various work requirements. However, some registration or responsible officers have been reluctant to accept applications or raise objections to accepting biometric information from citizens seeking new registration or NID corrections.
In response to these concerns, the Election Commission has decided to continue the NID amendment process alongside new registrations. This decision aims to safeguard the civic benefits associated with NIDs for Bangladesh citizens.
According to the Election Commission guidelines, only individuals with valid NIDs are eligible to vote in the upcoming 12th JS polls. Additionally, a voter's name must be present on the printed Electoral Rolls to cast a ballot.
Earlier, the draft and final Electoral Rolls were published on January 15 and March 2 respectively.
To maintain the integrity of the electoral process, all activities related to the 12th JS elections, including the selection of nomination papers, must be conducted in accordance with the most recently finalised voter list, CD, or printed list.
In case of revision of NID, revised information and newly registered persons will not be included in the final voter list sent for the 12th National Elections. However, subject to the approval of the commission, supplementary voter lists will be sent if necessary.
In the event that a voter's name is added to the voter list after September 14 or if a voter is transferred after September 30, a supplementary voter list will be issued by the Election Commission. In such cases, necessary actions will be taken based on the supplementary voter list.