The National Identity Registration Bill, 2023 was passed in Parliament on Wednesday to transfer the national identity registration operation from the Election Commission to the Security Services Division, Ministry of Home Affairs.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan moved the Bill, and it was passed by voice vote.

As per the proposed law, the NID registration operation will be under the Security Services Division of the Home Ministry.

Immediately after the birth, any national would have the right to get a birth certificate or a unique number, which would remain unchangeable.

National Identity Registration Bill, 2023 placed in JS to transfer operation to Home Ministry

The Election Commission will prepare the voter lists with the nationals aged above 18 years.

If a citizen for the purpose of obtaining a national identity card intentionally or knowingly furnishes any false or stated information or conceals information shall be deemed to have committed an offence under this law and shall be liable for such offence Shall be punished with 1 (one) year of imprisonment or a fine not exceeding Tk 20,000 or both.

If a citizen knowingly avails more than one NIDs shall be deemed to have committed an offence under this law and for such crime that person shall be punished with imprisonment of not less than one year or not more than Tk 20,000 or both.

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Anyone related to registration process while carrying out duties relating to the conduct, preparation, distribution and maintenance of national identity cards by or under this law shall be deemed to have committed an offence under this law if that person intentionally defaces or destroys any information relating to national identity cards kept by the Registrar and For such offence he shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding seven years or fine not exceeding Tk 1 lakh or both.

Any person who distorts or destroys any information mentioned in the National Identity Card for dishonest purposes shall be deemed to have committed an offence under this Act and shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 (two) years or to a fine not exceeding 40 (forty) thousand or to both, and he will be punished.

Any person who makes unauthorised access to data or uses data illegally shall be deemed to have committed an offence under this law and for such offence shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 (five) years or with a fine not exceeding Tk 50,000 or both.

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Any employee concerned with the registration process or his representative unauthorised disclosure of information to any person shall be deemed to have committed an offense under this law and for such offence shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 (five) years or a term not exceeding Tk 50,000 shall be punished with a fine or both.

Any person who forges a national identity card or knowingly carries such identity card shall be deemed to have committed an offense under this law and shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years or fine of Tk 1 lakh or both.

Any person who assists in the forgery of national identity cards or induces them to carry such identity cards shall be deemed to have committed an offence shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven 7 years or Tk 1 lakh fine or to both.

Any person possessing or carrying the national identity card of any other citizen without reasonable cause shall be deemed to have committed an offence shall be liable to rigorous imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or Tk 20,000 fine or both.

Any employee concerned with the registration process or any person performing any duty by or under this law relating to the conduct of national identity registration process, preparation, distribution and maintenance of national identity cards, for reasonable cause.

Besides, neglect of duty shall be considered as his incompetence and misconduct.

The opposition party members who took part in the discussion on the Bill complained that this decision of the government will increase the suffering of the common people as the police have not yet become people-friendly.

While criticising the police, the opposition party members also referred to the recent incidents of torture of Chhatra League leaders by police officers involving alleged extramarital affairs and police action on lawyers on the court premises.

In response to criticism, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said that anyone who commits a crime should be punished.

“The police officer you mentioned is also not above the law. Immediate measures have been taken involving him…no one has filed a case yet. As per our inquiry report, he must be punished,” the minister said.

Gonoforum MP Mukabbir Khan said that people are suffering a lot with NIDs, and if it comes under the control of the police the suffering will increase.

“Because the police have not really become a friend of the people,” he said.

About giving citizenship ID after birth, Mukabbir said that birth registration is not done by the Ministry of Home Affairs. This is done by the Ministry of Local Government.

“Then how to implement it. To do this, several authorities including birth registration, passport, driving licence have to be brought under the Ministry of Home Affairs.”

Jatiya Party MP Fakhrul Imam said that the citizen's information with the EC will go to the Home Office.

“But there was no discussion with the Election Commission (EC). The EC is free to list voters. Elections will be scheduled in November.”

He feared that if this law is implemented, there may be doubts about the voter list.

Highlighting the clash between the pro-BNP lawyers and the police in the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, Jatiya Party MP Shamim Haider Patwari said that the lawyers were beaten.

He said that the police should figure out that strategy on how to deal with the situation without using force and defuse the situation.

Patwari said that physical assault on the lawyers is a crime. He said that the police have to seek justice through lawyers, so they should be respected.

Another Jatiya Party MP, Mujibul Haque Chunnu brought up the topic of torture on Chhatra League leaders and said: “I don't know why the victim did not file a case.”

“Just investigating and taking departmental action will not bring justice. Justice will be done if the victims file a case and bring it under the criminal law.”

The EC currently conducts the national identity registration operation and issues the national identity cards against citizens aged 18 or above, since 2007, as per the National Identity Registration Act, 2010.