The image of the Election Commission (EC), which has failed to protect the people’s right to vote, has already been faded. Its failure to prevent corruption in the National Identity card (NID) project has tarnished its image further.
Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs has sent a proposal to the Prime Minister’s Office stating that it wants to take over the NID activities from the EC because of the project’s various irregularities.
However, experts suggested that it would be better to set up a separate department under the EC since the scope of NID has increased manifold. They also said that other countries in the world have separate authorities to deal with the NID registration process.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet Division has already formed a five-member committee headed by Additional Secretary (Administration and Rules) Sultan Ahmed on the basis of a Home Ministry proposal to the PMO to review the law, Constitution and overall challenges and give its opinion on the issue.
According to a media reports in a national daily on Sunday, there were allegations of massive irregularities in NID, particularly inclusion of Rohingyas in the voters’ list, dual voting and sale of property by changing one’s NID in the name of another.
More than a year ago, a scandal was uncovered in Chattogram over the supply of fake NID cards to at least 3,800 Rohingyas. The issue is not just a matter of financial corruption like pillow or curtain scandals. The issue of national security is closely linked to this.
In this context, the PMO sought the opinion of the Cabinet Division on the overall issues, including challenges of transferring National Identity Card registration activities under the Ministry of Home Affairs instead of the Election Commission.
Naturally the question also arises, why the authority of NID activities should be changed? If the responsibility of NID is given to any other organization, it will incur additional cost. It can also violate a person’s privacy. NID will also be misused.
Unfortunately, there is no instance that the EC, an independent constitutional body, has so far taken any effective or appropriate measures neither against the NID forgery nor fake voting.
It is futile to expect that corruption business will stop if the power of issuing NID is taken away from the Election Commission. It will be more convenient if the whole Election Commission is brought under the Home Ministry. There is no need for independent or corruption free Election Commission. Even the Anti- Corruption Commission is good for fighting corruption. The best thing would be to legalise corruption and there would be no corruption.
