Election Commission will start distributing ‘smart cards’ for voters from August

Voters in Bangladesh will have their laminated national identity (NID) cards replaced with multi-purpose smart cards from August this year.

The Election Commission (EC) says they plan to start distribution of the slick, machine-readable and counterfeit-proof cards in a formal ceremony involving either the president or the prime minister.

A Tk 8 billon deal was signed with France-based Oberthur Technologies in January last year for producing the smart cards.

The government plans to issue smart NID cards—with a three-tier security— to the country’s 90 million voters by June next year, according to EC officials.

“There will be no more delay. We have finalised all preparations for smart cards. The media will be informed once the launch date is fixed,” EC Secretary Md Sirajul Islam told bdnews24.com.

The EC plans to launch the distribution in a ceremony involving either the president or prime minister, according to National Identity Registration Division Director General Brig Gen Sultanuzzaman Md Saleh Uddin.

Door-to-door information gathering of under-18 citizens will start soon for issuing smart cards, he added.

“Smart card distribution will start in August, but everything depends on the EC. But I can tell that citizens will start getting it this year,” Uddin told bdnews24.com.

He added that in future a ‘unique identification number’ will be issued for every citizen.

“A number will be issued when a child is born and it will remain through his or her life. That will be the national identification number,” said the NID Registration Division chief.

He said that they will give the proposal to the EC after consultation with other stakeholders, like BUET and Bangladesh Computer Council.

“The EC’s registration wing will provide a number to the concerned authorities for child birth registrations. When the child will be eligible for an NID card, he or she will get it bearing that unique number issued during birth,” said Uddin.