EC starts updating voter list across Bangladesh

The Election Commission has started collecting information about those aged between 15 and 17 years and those who will reach voting age on Jan 1, 2018.

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad inaugurated the update exercise at Narsinghdi’s Shilpakala Academy on Saturday.

The house-to-house gathering of information in 514 Upazilas will continue until Feb 10, 2016.

The voter roll was updated last year, when the number of voters increased to 96.2 million and the EC estimates another 7.2 million citizens will be registered following the update.

CEC Ahmad sought accuracy from his officials.

“We’ll provide smart national identity cards based on correct information,” he said. “Everyone will have to collate them properly.”

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

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

Ahmad said the EC was taking swift steps to give identity cards to those who are yet to get them.

In case of corrections in the existing NID cards, the CEC suggested applying to the local election offices.

He also warned current voters against registering their names in the update.

“It’s a crime,” he said. “The culprits will be easily identified and will face legal action.”