Smart cards to reach 90 million Bangladeshis by December

Ninety million eligible citizens will soon be provided with smart national identity cards and it would cost Tk 800 million to the government exchequer.

Moinul Hoque Chowdhurybdnews24.com
Published : 29 Sept 2016, 04:10 AM
Updated : 29 Sept 2016, 04:10 AM

The cards will replace the existing laminated ID cards currently in use.

The Election Commission (EC) has said that the government will bear the cost, which is $2 per card.

The EC said that the cards are currently being provided free of cost but for any future service, like including corrections and replacement on loss, card holders will have to pay the stipulated fee.

Tk 450 million will be spent as honorarium to operators at Tk 5 per card.  Tk 100 million will be spent on publicity. Other expenses will add to a total of Tk 800 million.

All eligible citizens will get the smart national identity cards by December, says the government's NID wing.

It says the target is to reach the smart I-cards to all the citizens within 400 working days.

Dhaka's Ramna and Uttara electoral officers Md Shah Jalal and Mehbooba Mamta Hena said that people from Ward I of Uttara and Wards 19, 20 and 21 of Ramna will receive smart cards between Oct 3 and 27.

Four-phase distribution

The cards will be distributed in the following four phases across the country:

1. Two areas of Dhaka and Kurhigram

2. Khulna, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Barisal, Sylhet, Narayanganj, Comilla, Rangpur and Gajipur city corporation areas

 3. 64 Sadar Upazilas

 4. All other Upazilas

Publicity through mass media and public announcements will be made to notify citizens about distribution details prior to each phase.

Distribution data

 >>A total of 90 million smart cards to be distributed

 >>75 distribution teams

 >>5250 distribution centres

 >>Daily distribution target of more than 0.2 million cards