The Election Commission (EC) has taken a plan to settle nearly 400,000 pending applications, submitted seeking correction in the national identity cards, within the next three months in a bid to curb the corruption in the NID services. Director General of the Election Commission’s National Identity Card (NID) Wing ASM Humayun Kabir on Thursday said this while talking to reporters following an operation of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), conducted at the EC offices, targeting a network of corrupt staff and brokers who allegedly involved in bribery related to NID card services. Election Commission’s maiden meeting in progress “We’ll try to resolve 3.78 lakh pending applications submitted seeking corrections (in NID) within three months so that the opportunities for corruption are reduced,” he said. The ACC, in a crackdown started 11am on Thursday, detained two brokers red-handed and took action against two corrupt staff for their involvement in bribery related to EC’s national identity card services. The NID DG said the manpower crisis is a major reason behind the backlog of applications. So, an initiative has been taken to hire more manpower for the NID services, he said. Election Commission seeks opinions on electoral reform    “I hope you will see a crash program very soon. You will see significant improvement (in settlement of applications) in the next three months,” he said, adding that the EC would try to settle all 378,000 pending applications within this period. According to the EC’s statistics, there are more than 12 crore voters in the country. A large number of voters have various errors in their NIDs. But the people face harassment and difficulties in availing NID services.

The Election Commission (EC) has urged all to correct any errors in their National Identity Cards (NIDs) by January 2. The directive comes as part of preparations for publishing the draft voter list on the same date. In a media release issued on Sunday, the Election Commission Secretariat urged all the citizens of the country to visit their respective Upazila or Thana election offices to get corrected any errors in their NIDs. The media release stressed the importance of accurate NID information, as the draft voter list will be based on the records provided. Any discrepancies left unresolved could lead to administrative and legal complications in the future, it added. To facilitate the correction process, all concerned are required to submit a duly filled-out form along with necessary documents. EC accelerates disposal of NID correction applicants The EC has assured that adequate measures have been taken to ensure a smooth and efficient correction process. The Election Commission says that having an accurate NID is not only crucial for voter registration but also for verifying personal identity and safeguarding citizens' rights.  

The High Court on Sunday issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the authorities concerned should not be directed to add information about thalassemia to the National Identity (NID) card. The HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo issued the rule after hearing a writ petition. Advocate Eunus Ali Akond stood for the writ petitioner while deputy attorney general Arbind Kumar represented the state. Also read: 7 years in condemn cell despite acquittal: HC orders judicial inquiry Secretaries to the Cabinet, health. law, home ministries, Election Commission, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services, Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council have been made respondent to the rule. The HC also issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the authorities concerned should not be directed to enact a policy for inserting information about thalassemia in the NID card of a person. Eunus Ali Akond filed a writ petition seeking insertion of thalassemia information into the NID card on May 31. On May 25, a legal notice was served in this regard. According to the petition, if any thalassemia patient marries a person carrying thalassemia disease then there is a risk of their children getting affected. But if a thalassemia-free is married to a patient of thalassemia, in that case, their children will be free from the risk of thalassemia. Also read: HC summons ACC IO over exemption of accused in Sonali Bank loan scam case They wanted an option at the NID card to insert information about thalassemia to clarify whether the card holder has been infected with the decease or not to prevent marriage of two thalassemia patients

Customers of mobile financial services provider (MFS) upay can now make payment of different service-related fees such as correction of national identity (NID) card and collection of duplicate NID. The service will be available to customers through the upay app and USSD code "268." Upay signed an agreement with the Election Commission (EC) Tuesday. Read: US-Bangla Airlines offers chance to youths to become pilot Rezaul Hossain, managing director and chief executive officer of upay, and Mohammad Azizul Islam, director of administration and finance at the NID wing under the EC Secretariat, signed the deal. Upay, a subsidiary of United Commercial Bank, launched its operation in March 2021. Since its launching, the company has acquired around 60 lakhs customers. It has more than one lakh agent points across the country, according to a media statement. Read Healthcare payments: Nagad offers discounts of up to Tk2,350.

BRAC, a development organisation, has joined as a partner of the government's Covid-19 vaccination drive to accelerate resilience against the pandemic. BRAC started managing vaccine administration in nine centres of Dhaka from Saturday with the help of midwives from BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health. It is also assisting the government in 3,214 centres at the union level across Bangladesh. Read: BRAC gets regulatory nod to issue zero-coupon bonds People aged from 25 years and above can get the jab by showing their national identity card (NID) between 9am and 3pm every day from BRAC-managed centres, said a press release by the organization. The service will remain open till August 12. The eligible must bring a photocopy of NID card or the vaccine registration card registered with the Shurokkha App to receive the vaccine. The centres are offering vaccine doses only for those who have registered with the Shurokkha App but have yet to receive a short message service confirming the date of vaccination. Read:One-third of female employed youths jobless as impact of Covid-19: BRAC Only the first dose of the vaccine is offered from these centres and will mention the date of the second dose in the vaccine card. Each of these BRAC-managed centres in Dhaka city can administer 350 doses per day. Women, elderly people (over 50 years) and people with disabilities are prioritized in vaccination from these centres. Dr Morseda Chowdhury, director of Health, Nutrition and Population Programme (HNPP) at BRAC, said, “We aim to ensure vaccine administration management in a disciplined way everywhere, including hard-to-reach areas. We believe a combined effort by everyone is essential in the fight against the pandemic.” Read:Nine banks to collaborate with BRAC in Covid awareness and support The nine centres BRAC is operating in the two city corporations in Dhaka city are: Nurer Chala Government School and Shaheed Turjo Primary School in Badda under the Dhaka North City Corporation, and councillor office in Paltan Community Centre, Dingi in Dhanmondi 8/A, councillor office in Dhanmondi Community Centre at Bhuter Goli on Dhanmondi Circular Road, councillor office in Hatirpool Kacha Bazar, councillor office in Shegunbagicha multipurpose complex, Fakir Chan Sarder Community Centre in Narinda, and MA Sattar High School in Demra under Dhaka South City Corporation.

The government will recruit new local level officials to make NID services more efficient and dynamic, Law Minister Anisul Haque said in parliament on Monday. Anisul, who is in charge of the Election Commission Secretariat on parliamentary affairs, said the government has created posts of thana and upazila level assistant election officer and a data entry operator. Also read: Govt. must sit with EC to discuss transferring NID services from it, says CEC The NID service will be more dynamic once the recruitment process for these two posts is completed, he said. The minister was replying to a tabled question from Jatiya Party MP Shamim Haider Patwary. The law minister said a total of 7,32,363 people in the country have so far registered to get online National Identity Card services. He said that NID services have been decentralized for speedy disposal of applications. Central and field level officials have been given the power to dispose of applications according to the type of application, he added. Also read: NID services to be provided from Home Ministry: Minister Replying to a question of AKM Rahmatullah from Dhaka-11, LGRD Minister Tajul Islam said arsenic screening is being conducted in 3,200 unions in 335 upazilas of 54 districts. Responding to a question from MP Didarul Alam, Minister for Liberation War Affairs Akam Mozammel Haque who is in charge of the Prime Minister's Office on parliamentary affairs, said the government has allotted 1,832.27 acres of land of Sahebganj Sugar Mill in Rangpur Sugar Mills to set up Rangpur EPZ. He also said the government has also planned to set up EPZ at Prembagh Union's Chengutia under Avoynagar Upazila in Jashore. Also read: CEC wants NID services to stay under EC Besides, another EPZ will be set up at Sadar Upazila in Patuakhali. Construction of these EPZs will begin in the next financial year (2021-22) and will be completed in phases by 2024. 

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda on Wednesday urged the government to sit with the commission to discuss its decision to move the National Identity (NID) services from the election body to the home ministry. “If they want to shift it from us, they will have to talk to us over how they will take it or not. Then we’ll raise more logics in favour of our stance,” he said. The CEC made these remarks while talking to reporters after inaugurating a medical camp at Electoral Training Institute (ETI) Bhaban in the city’s Agargaon. READ: CEC wants NID services to stay under EC In reply to a question, KM Huda said the government should take the initiative of the discussion. “What will eventually happen or not is a matter of the next step (following the discussion),” he adde Asked if there will be scope for discussion even after the issuance of gazette notification to shift the NID services, he said surely, there is scope as it is a large institution, which can’t be shifted in this way.  “They must discuss how it will be shifted or not. There must be a discussion. It is not like a table or chair that can be picked up in this way (without having discussion),” he added. The CEC said the EC has already created skilled manpower to run the NID services. If the services are shifted to another place, it will need to create new manpower for it. READ: Claims of voter fraud nothing new for losing parties: CEC “So, it will be good if the services can be rendered by our experienced persons,” he said. The government wants to shift the NID services from the EC to the Security Services Division under the Home Ministry. But the EC wants to keep the services under its authority.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Thursday sued 17 people, including public officials and policemen accusing them of helping Rohingyas get Bangladesh National Identity (NID) cards and passports. The deputy assistant director of ACC district integrated office of Chittagong 2, Md  Sharif Uddin, filed the case. Also read: Rohingya NID scam: ACC files case against 11 Accused officials and policemen are -former inspector of Cox'sbazar special branch ( SB) of Police S M Mizanur Rahman (now working at Patuakhali Control room), former inspector of Cox'sbazar SB Police Ruhul Amin ( now serving as officer in charge of Begumganj Thana), former Inspector of Cox'sbazar SB Police Prbash Chandra Dhar ( working as Inspector in DIG office of Rangpur), and additional  regional officer of Cumilla election office Mozammel Hossain. The other accused are Rohingyas who got the passports. Also read: NID anomalies: Data entry operator handed over to police ACC probe found that the accused were helping each other to acquire false NID cards and birth certificates. The crime took place from July 28, 2008 to September 30, 2019. 

Anti Corruption Unit on Tuesday filed a case against 11 including public officials for helping Rohingyas get Bangladeshi National ID cards and passports. Deputy assistant director of ACC district integrated office of Chattogram-2, Md  Sharif Uddin, filed the case. Accused  officials and public representatives are office secretary of Doublemooring thana election office Md Jaynal Abedin, senior district election officer MLSS Md Nur Ahmmed; Saifuddin Chowdhury, data entry officer of Hathazari election office, technical expert of Keraniganj upazila election office Satya Sundar Dey, former chairman of Hathazari-Mirzapur union Md Nurul Absar; Ward-5 member of Mirzapur UP Md Nurul Islam, and former birth certificate official of Mirzapur UP Md Belal Uddin. READ: ACC approves chargesheet against ex-RHD chief engineer Besides, Md Abdur Salam, Md Azizur Rahman, Ramzan Bibi and Najir Ahmed, four residents of Mirzapur union, were also accused in the case. In 2019 a Rohingya woman named Ramjan Bibi was arrested while trying to collect her NID as a Bangladeshi citizen from Chattogram EC office. Later during interrogation, she confessed that many Rohingya citizens were getting NID cards with the help of some officials of the EC office. Many of the accused were arrested after that from different parts of the country, including the main perpetrators, according to investigators.  READ: Voluntary Rohingya repatriation in short term looks more challenging: UN ACC in its investigation got proof of the accused helping each other in acquiring false NID cards and birth certificates.

A total of forty aspirants for the Awami League candidacy in the upcoming Dhaka-14, Sylhet-3 and Cumilla-5 by-elections collected the nomination papers in the first two days. Awami League sources told UNB that eleven, nine and twenty aspirants collected the papers for Dhaka-14, Sylhet-3 and Cumilla-5 respectively. The ruling party started the sale of nomination forms on Friday (June 4) and it will continue till June 10. Also read: Fifth phase municipality polls: AL nomination board sits Saturday Aspirants will be able to collect and submit their forms from 11am to 5pm from party president Sheikh Hasia's political office in Dhanmondi.