Staff Reporter :
The Election Commission’s (EC) National Identity Registration Wing has identified more than 500 individuals across Bangladesh who possess multiple National Identity Cards (NIDs), raising concerns over misuse and administrative oversight.
Speaking to reporters at the EC headquarters in Dhaka on Monday, Director General ASM Humayun Kabir confirmed the discovery and stated that decisive action is forthcoming.
“By next week, you will see significant progress regarding measures taken against these individuals,” he said. “With over 130 million records, it is not feasible to review each manually. However, when credible information is brought to our attention, we act accordingly.”
The Director General also announced an expansion in the authority to correct NID information. Previously limited to regional election officers, this authority is now being extended to district-level officials in a bid to improve service delivery.
“To enhance efficiency, we are fast-tracking legitimate applications,” he said. “The objective is to ensure timely service by distributing responsibilities more effectively.”
Humayun Kabir further noted that steps are being taken to delegate additional powers to EC secretariat staff, allowing for a more streamlined process. “Regional officials have been authorised to categorise applications, and their performance is under regular review. While some are performing well, others need improvement,” he added.
On the issue of Rohingya refugees, the DG mentioned that a fingerprint-based database was expected to be shared with the EC through an API last week. “We’ve yet to receive a final decision regarding which ministry will host the server for Rohingya data. That said, the server’s physical location is not critical as long as fingerprint verification is possible,” he stated.
Addressing the status of expatriate voter registration, Humayun Kabir said the process is currently active in eight countries, including Australia.
“Registration is ongoing in Australia, and we expect to begin in Canada next week, increasing the total to nine countries. The primary challenge remains the lack of space in embassy premises,” he noted.
He added that consultations have taken place with the finance and foreign ministries, and an inter-ministerial meeting is scheduled for next week to identify and resolve barriers. The EC aims to expand expatriate voter registration services to 40 countries.
