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EC officials argue that a sudden transfer of NID services will disrupt election preparations ahead of the 13th parliamentary elections
Published : 14 Mar 2025, 02:27 AM
Officials and employees of the Election Commission, or EC, have opposed the interim government's initiative to establish a Civil Registration Commission to centralise national identity, or NID, and other services.
Describing the move as “intentional”, EC’s NID wing officials insist that the service must remain under the constitutional body.
A letter has been sent to the government requesting retention of the NID services under the EC.
As no “progress” was seen within a week, they announced a series of demonstrations, including human chains.
On Thursday, officials at the EC Secretariat, NID wing, ten regional offices, and more than five hundred Upazila election offices observed a two-hour Stand for NID protest.
From there, they announced an “operational halt” programme on Mar 19.
Meanwhile, the Election System Reform Commission has recommended the formation of an independent National Identification Registration Authority.
The EC has also raised objections to this proposal.
Chief Election Commissioner, or CEC, AMM Nasir Uddin commented on Jan 26, saying: “They are suggesting handing over voter registration and NID services to another independent directorate or department in the future... Will I have any control over it then? It’s impossible.”
On Mar 6, EC officials staged a sit-in protest outside the CEC’s office at the EC building, demanding that the NID service remain under their jurisdiction.
Addressing the officials, the CEC assured them that the commission was fully committed to retaining the NID services.
“Perhaps the government is considering providing the service from a single platform. The NID is with the EC, and it will remain with the EC.”
“We will inform the government of our stance in writing on an urgent basis,” he said.
He argued that the NID system is a “by-product” of voter registration, developed over 17 years with EC officials’ efforts.
The entire nationwide network was established by the EC, and the government should consider all aspects before making a decision.
Amid this tug-of-war over NID, Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, special assistant to the Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus responsible for the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, has said that while the NID service will remain under the EC for now, it will eventually be transferred to an independent data authority.
Speaking at a press conference titled Ownership of NID at the ICT Division on Wednesday, he said: “We are talking about a data authority. We are not saying we will shut down the EC’s IT cell or take over its software, hardware, and technical capacity.
“What we are saying is that NID data will be regulated under a data authority. For now, it will remain where it is,” he added.
Faiz explained that at a later stage, when necessary, NID services would be integrated under a central authority.
BUDGET AND WORKFORCE
The EC database currently holds information on over 123.7 million citizens.
With the ongoing voter list update, nearly five million new records have been collected, while around 1.7 million dead voters are being removed.
The EC aims to finalise the updated list by June, ahead of the 13th parliamentary elections.
EC officials argue that a sudden transfer of NID services would disrupt election preparations.
According to Mohammad Monir Hossain, convenor of the Bangladesh Election Commission Officers’ Association, the EC Secretariat and field offices have around 5,112 officials and staff, with an additional 2,000 working on project-based contracts.
In total, over 7,000 personnel are engaged in election-related tasks and NID services.
Since 2007-08, more than Tk 50 billion has been spent on voter registration and NID services.
The ongoing house-to-house update process has an additional allocation of nearly Tk 1.9 billion.
Monir pointed out that the major expenses lie in voter list maintenance, while NID services require comparatively lower costs.
VOTER LIST WITH PHOTOGRAPHS AND DATABASE
Earlier, voter registration and voter lists were manually prepared based on registered information.
In 2007-08, the process of creating a voter list with photographs and issuing national identity cards began.
In 2007, the Election Commission, with support from the Bangladesh Army and United Nations Development Programme, or UNDP, undertook the task of preparing a voter list with photographs.
Considering the potential for multiple uses of the voter list database, the national identity card service was introduced at a later stage.
EC officials say the move to transfer the database will significantly disrupt the ongoing election preparations.
They warn that such “unnecessary initiatives” will create major obstacles to holding the upcoming election smoothly.
They argue that removing the NID service at this stage will cause disruptions to an effective system, and separating the two services—voter list and NID—will lead to complications and duplication in election-related and national ID services.
WHAT IS THE PROPOSED CIVIL REGISTRATION COMMISSION?
The interim government plans to create an independent commission to centralise all citizens' services under one roof.
In an effort to address the complexities and issues surrounding birth registration, NID, and passport services, work is underway to draft an ordinance named Civil Registration (Commission), 2025.
The Cabinet Division is consulting relevant stakeholders, including the Local Government, Security Services, and Health Services divisions, for their opinions.
The first meeting of the inter-ministerial committee, which reviews and provides opinions on legal drafts, was held at the Cabinet Division, with representatives from the Election Commission Secretariat in attendance.
Key Points of the Proposed Civil Registration Commission:
EC RAISES CONCERNS OVER PROPOSED DATA AUTHORITY SHIFT
The Election Commission has expressed concerns over the government's proposal to transfer the national identification database to a new entity, warning that it could disrupt ongoing election preparations.
In a letter sent to the government on Mar 9, EC officials highlighted the constitutional mandate of the commission to oversee voter list preparation and maintenance.
According to Article 119 of the Constitution, the EC has sole authority over the voter list for presidential and parliamentary elections.
The Voter List Act of 2009 further reinforces the commission's responsibility to update and maintain the voter database, from which NID cards are issued.
The EC warned that moving the voter list-based NID database to another authority would violate the Constitution and diminish the commission’s constitutional powers.
GOVERNMENT SAYS NO JOB LOSS IN DATA AUTHORITY TRANSITION
Special Assistant Faiz addressed concerns raised by the EC.
Speaking on Wednesday, he reassured stakeholders that the transition to a new data authority would not result in job losses.
He explained that existing IT infrastructure in government and private institutions would remain intact and would be strengthened under the new framework.
Faiz also clarified that while the EC would continue to manage its current voter database, the long-term goal is to establish an independent data authority.
This move is intended to align with global standards and provide a robust legal, authentication, and data management system for the country’s growing digital needs.
EC EMPLOYEES UNHAPPY
The assurance given by the special assistant to the government has failed to satisfy Election Commission employees.
Muhammad Ashraf Hossain, system manager of the NID Wing, expressed concerns over separating the voter list and NID services, believing it would weaken both systems.
He said, "The NID and voter list are inherently tied. If either is weakened, the other will also be affected. NID cannot be separated from the commission; it was established here and should remain under our control."
Bangladesh Election Commission Officers Association Convenor Monir added that several interest groups have often attempted to take control of the NID service.
He pointed out that there had been previous attempts to move the NID under the Ministry of Home Affairs and now a new commission was being proposed for the same purpose.
Monir emphasised that there had been no issues with the NID system under the EC for the past 17-18 years, saying: "The NID should remain under the EC."
He continues: “Regardless of whether the government creates a Data or Civil Registration Commission, we firmly believe that the NID cannot be removed from the Election Commission. If a separate commission is established, our concerns have not been addressed, and based on the information gathered from the media, employees remain dissatisfied.”
WHAT’S THE MATTER? ACC AND EC HEADS SHARE THEIR VIEWS
The Anti-Corruption Commission, or ACC, and Election Commission heads have shared their thoughts on the ongoing discussion regarding the NID service.
Research conducted by Transparency International Bangladesh, or TIB, on passport and NID services highlighted different issues.
TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman had previously described the government's attempt to transfer NID services to the home ministry as a "double bind”.
He pointed out that a lack of competence within the EC in managing the NID registration process was one of the key problems.
However, TIB's research also identified issues of corruption and brokers in the passport services.
Iftekharuzzaman raised a valid question: "How will the quality of service be affected if the responsibility for NID is transferred elsewhere?"
When asked why the Election Commission does not want to relinquish NID services, Iftekharuzzaman, the head of the Commission for Electoral Reforms, told bdnews24.com: "The EC officers can provide a sincere and logical explanation for their stance. However, the way they are organising campaigns is unprecedented and questionable.
“Officers of constitutional institutions should not behave like political bodies in such matters," he said.
He agreed with the interim government’s proposal to separate NID services into an independent structure.
"Until now, the EC handled the NID well, but globally, the use of databases has expanded beyond the scope of the EC. It is a technical matter too,” he said.
“Given the allegations of corruption, fraud, data leaks, and information theft, the EC has become questionable in this regard," he added.
Iftekharuzzaman continued, "The EC’s activities have been surrounded by negative issues such as NID fraud, data leaks, and the registration of Rohingya voters. The EC's focus seems to be more on consolidating power than ensuring proper electoral procedures."
He argued that a more integrated approach involving multiple ministries is necessary to ensure proper technical and security management.
"The NID system should not remain under the EC’s purview. We believe it should be handled by an independent commission," Iftekharuzzaman concluded, advocating for better transparency, accountability, and technical security.
In response to the previous attempt to transfer NID services from the EC to the home ministry, Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik, or SHUJAN, General Secretary Badiul Alam Mazumdar had raised concerns.
He had questioned the rationale behind shifting the NID responsibility when the EC had created it as a valuable resource.
He emphasised, "The foundation of the NID is the voter list database, which was created by the EC in 2007. Why is the home ministry pushing to take control now?"
Following the change in government, the Election System Reform Commission, led by Badiul Alam, recommended the creation of an independent constitutional body called the National Identity Registration Agency, or NIRA.
When asked about his change in position, Badiul told bdnews24.com: "Yes, I initially opposed transferring NID to the home ministry. I had said it should remain under the EC. However, after consulting with technical experts, we now advocate for an independent agency."
Badiul, a member of the National Consensus Commission, added: "Given the global standards and the scale of services needed for a database, there is no alternative to having an independent agency."
When asked why the EC does not want to part with NID services, the head of the Election System Reform Commission said: "This issue requires a proper explanation, which the EC itself will provide."
REFORM COMMISSION’S RECOMMENDATION: NCDC PROPOSAL
The Reform Commission has recommended the establishment of an independent constitutional body, the National Citizen Data Commission, or NCDC, to oversee all services related to the NID across Bangladesh.
The proposal aims to ensure the seamless operation, upgrading, maintenance, and security of the country’s largest national data repository.
According to the commission’s recommendation, the NCDC should be established within the next seven years, taking over the responsibilities of NID production, preservation, and distribution from the National Identity Registration Wing.
An international audit firm will be appointed to determine the structure and staffing of this new commission, with necessary steps to be taken to ensure its effectiveness.
Until it is fully established, the commission has suggested keeping these responsibilities under the EC.
In its proposal, the commission also suggested expanding the scope of the NCDC's activities to include the registration of citizens’ life events, such as birth, death, marriage, and divorce, which are currently managed by other services.
EC SECRETARY'S VIEW
On the matter of keeping the NID registration under the EC, Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed argued: "We established this system in 2007. We have the technical expertise, and we are providing the desired services while expanding the scope of these services."
He pointed out that 182 organisations rely on the EC for data, highlighting the secure nature of the information shared.
"Given that this established system is working effectively, it is more logical to expand the existing structure than to rebuild it from scratch," he said, emphasising the need to extend the existing system rather than create a new one.
[Writing in English by Arshi Fatiha Quazi]
