Election Commission to give NID cards to under-18 citizens

The Election Commission (EC) has decided to provide national identification (NID) cards to under-18 citizens.

Citizens aged between 15 and 17 will be registered in the first phase, as per EC’s preliminary plan.

The EC’s division for NID registration has proposed to enrol 7.2 million people in three phases.

The EC plans to gather information going door-to-door around July-August this year and complete the project by May 2016.

The schedule is yet to be finalised.

“The commission has decided to register citizens who are born on or before Jan 1, 2000,” EC Joint Secretary Jasmine Tuli has said.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by chief election commissioner, she said.

The decision is in accordance with the National Identity Registration Act that proposes to give NID cards even to those who are less than 18 years of age.

A bill in this regard was passed in October 2013.

“We will inform the media after finalising entire work plan for registering citizens under 18 years of age. We have a plan to begin the work by July,” National Identity Registration Division Director General Brig Gen Sultanuzzaman Md Saleh Uddin told bdnews24.com.

Once registered with the EC, the citizens will automatically be included in the electoral roll once they are 18 years old.

An official with NID wing said people under 15 years would also come under registration subsequently.

Some 96.2 million, out of 160 million, people are currently on the voter list. Those born on or before Jan 1, 1997 were only enrolled.