Parliament opens probe into fake NIDs

A parliamentary watchdog has formed a two-strong special team to investigate the manufacture of over 50,000 fake national identification cards.

The Parliament Secretariat in a media statement said the team was formed by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Public Administration on Sunday.

The standing committee’s chief RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury is heading it with Md Abdur Rahman being the other member.

Mustafa Lutfullah, a member of the standing committee, told reporters the team had been asked to submit its report at the panel's next meeting.

Steps would be recommended after that, he said.

Police on Saturday arrested two men with over 53,000 fake national IDs and nearly 36,000 passport-sized photos.

Of the arrestees - Aminul Islam Mamun - was nabbed from Dhaka’s East Dholaiparh with 4,650 fake NIDs and an equal number of passport-sized pictures.

After he told police about his partner Toufique Islam in Tongi, the law enforcers raided a house at Arichpur Bazar there and arrested him, too, while seizing a staggering 48,450 forged NIDs and 31,650 photos.

A computer, a printer, 15 Airtel and eight Banglalink SIM cards were also seized.

Police said a set of a NID and a photo was sold to retail SIM sellers for Tk 25-30 and these fake documents were presented against SIM cards sold without registration.

It is alleged that these SIM cards procured with fake NIDs are being used for mobile-phone-based crimes.