Govt plans to include importance of voter registration in school curricula

Abdul Alim says educating future citizens about the voter roll and NID process in schools would benefit everyone

The Election Commission is moving to include lessons on the importance of voter registration and National IDs in school textbooks.

Led by the NID registration division, the plan aims to educate students at primary, secondary, and higher secondary levels about the significance, registration process, and uses of the NID and electoral roll.

To prepare content for the textbooks, the EC Secretariat has invited submissions from central and field-level officers.

A five-strong committee, headed by the director general of the Election Training Institute (ETI), has been formed to review and compile suitable materials. The committee is expected to submit its report by Aug 31.

On Wednesday, NID Wing Director Mohammad Habibur Rahman said after internal review, the EC will forward the approved content to the relevant ministry for inclusion in textbooks.

The goal is to present core civic concepts through formats such as stories, dialogues, essays, poems, or short plays to enhance student understanding, he added.

Out of Bangladesh’s 170 million people, around 125 million are registered voters with NIDs. While the minimum age for registration is 18, the government is working toward gradually providing NIDs to all citizens regardless of age.

Though not legally mandatory, the NID has become essential for accessing almost all public and private services. Recognising this, the EC believes that civic literacy on the voter list and NID is critical for nurturing responsible citizenship from an early age.