THE news that struck the people with the utmost surprise on Friday is about the confiscation of over 53,100 counterfeit national ID cards in the city at a time when the government is treating it as a very highly important document of identity to Bangladeshi nationals. Moreover the Election Commission (EC) is relying on the national ID cards to screen out eligible voters at elections from national to the local level and now if that ID card is passing from hand to hand in fake counterfeit form, the entire foundation of the national ID system and its security is going to collapse. Moreover, as news report said the government is planning to add 50 lakhs new voters this year but what may be the credibility of new cards if private parties can also issue such cards bypassing the concerned government agencies. What is also the guarantee that Rohingyas or nationals from other neighbouring countries will not buy such ID cards to hold a claim of Bangladeshi national to illegally use national facilities or indulge in crimes and such other destructive activities.
In fact, the confiscation of the huge number of national ID cards has opened whole lot of sensitive questions having serious bearing on national security and law and order situation at a time when Bangladesh remains highly vulnerable to destructive forces from home and abroad. The confiscation has further opened the question as to what is the actual number of fake IDs that the counterfeit group or groups are holding in their hand and how they are distributing and who are their actual clients.
The recovery of the fake ID cards in question from Dholaipar area under Kadamtali P.S. in the capital has opened more questions and hardly any credible answers. Meanwhile, the confession by the Director of Operations of the National Identification Card Project that fake national ID cards may be produced with any ‘basic office equipment’ has put into question the very logic in spending over Tk 500 crore or more so far to run this project and largely base the national security scanning on it. It may be produced now at a computer shop because there is no security signature that may make it a distinct document beyond the reach of criminal groups.
As the system now operates, the government wants that a person must produce the national ID card to file an application for passport, or open a bank account or fill up the tax file to the NBR. The question is now that if two persons are holding the ID card of the same number, who will protect the right person from the holder of the fake card using it for criminal purpose.
We hold the view that the entire national ID card programme must be restructured now with security signature on card that can’t be counterfeited by criminal groups. There should also be a total review of the scheme without using it as a easy tool to spend public money while it remains vulnerable to criminal gangs. After all, there must be some organizations which should come forward when most national security arrangement is faltering in the hand of a highly corrupt government in which dishonest people are after making illegal money at the cost of security to the nation.
