Noman Mosharef :
The rope dragging over the handling of NID (National Identity cards) related service continues between the government and the Election Commission (EC) as to who will control the NID?
The controversy began when the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on May 24 told the Cabinet Division to take necessary steps to shift NID-related services to the Security Services Division under the home ministry.
Security Services Division Secretary Mokabbir Hossain and Election Commission Secretary Humayun Kabir Khandaker confirmed that they had received the copy. The government’s several ministers talked again and again saying that NID related service should be shifted to home ministry. Contrarily the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other commissioners said it ought to remain with the EC.
CEC KM Nurul Huda and home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal spoke over the NID issue on Wednesday.
KM Nurul Huda said “It is not a chair or table that can be moved from one place to another. We have to sit together to discuss the issue.”
“EC would face problems if the National Identity (NID) card related services are taken under the home ministry.”
Nurul Huda said NID wing is a large organisation. There must be a discussion at the secretary level on how it will be shifted. The advantages and disadvantages of EC regarding the matter will be discussed there.
Saying both parties have logics, the chief election commissioner further said the government, of course, has some reasons in this regard. The EC has also some logics.
Their (government) logic is that this service is not under the election commission’s jurisdiction. That logic is correct.
But the EC said it is not possible for any other department to create several thousands of professional manpower afresh that the EC has now to conduct this service.
On the other hand, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said that shifting the National Identity (NID) card preparation work from the Election Commission to the Home Ministry was “appropriate.”
“Any controversy in this regard is totally undesirable. Taking opinion from all, we have placed the NID-related services under the Home Ministry. We have also taken advice from experts in this respect,” he added.
Moreover, Election commissioner Mahbub Talukdar on May 2 termed shifting the NID wing from the election commission (EC) to the security services division under the home ministry as the final nail in the coffin.
He also considers the shift as severing limbs of the EC.
Mahbub Talukdar said he could not understand the motive behind such a ‘suicidal’ and ‘irrational’ move by the government.
As the EC remained unnoticed earlier, Mahbub Talukdar termed the procedures of shifting as a sheer negligence to the EC.
Mahbub Talukdar continued, “The article 118 (4) of the constitution says that the EC shall be independent in the exercise of its functions and subject only to this constitution and any other law. Although the article is a safeguard to the EC, where is the independence now? I fear that shifting the charge of NID wing to others is going to be a funeral of the electoral system.”
In a virtual dialogue on June 6 styled “Government’s initiative to place the National Identity registration related activities on the Home Ministry” was organised by Shujan (Sushashoner Janya Nagorik) joined by Shujan president M Hafizuddin Khan, former Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda, former Election Commissioner Dr M Sakhawat Hossain, Justice MA Matin, local government expert Dr Tofail Ahmed, lawyer Dr Shahdin Malik and former Cabinet Secretary Ali Imam Mazumder, among others said Shifting the National Identity (NID) registration related activities from the Election Commission (EC) to the Home Ministry is a clear violation of the constitution.
Shujan Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Mazumder said, the EC is a constitutional body. The government cannot take away the NID card related activities from it through a directive only.
Dr Badiul Alam Mazumder said NID cards in Bangladesh have been prepared on the basis of information on voter database in Bangladesh which does not exist in other countries. So, the issue of voter lists is inter-related with NID cards.
Expressing deep concern over shifting the National Identity Registration Wing from a constitutional body to the control of a political government, Dr M Sakhawat Hossain said, “It was found that the local political leaders were more interested to make Rohingyas as voters than the EC. Union Parishad chairmen and members helped Rohingyas to get NIDs providing birth registration certificates. Situation will worsen further if the NID-related activities are placed under a political government.”Currently, NID-related services are being provided under the Election Commission, which has developed the NID database containing information on 100 million citizens aged above 18.
The NID services include issuing national identity cards to citizens, administering all related activities, including maintaining a national citizen registration database and delivering identity verification services to qualified public and private organisations.
A full-fledged NID wing was established following the passage of the National Identity Registration Act 2010. Bangladesh launched NID cards with photographs in 2007-2008, as part of updating the voter list.
