NID : Over 13 Crore Records, Rohingya Data Awaiting Final Placement

The national identity database currently houses information on more than 13 crore individuals, including over 500 cases of duplicate NID registrations. While the Election Commission (EC) remains the custodian of citizens' personal data, a final decision is yet to be made regarding which ministry will host the data server for Rohingyas.

These insights were shared by A S M Humayun Kabir, Director General of the National Identity Registration Division (NID), during a media briefing on Monday (May 5) at the Election Commission headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka.

He stated, "Last week, the decision was to hand over the Rohingya database to the EC through an API. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other concerned departments have decided to keep the data within their control. The main objective is to ensure that the necessary information remains accessible, regardless of where it is stored. Essentially, we do not allow Rohingyas or foreigners access to our national database. We are still awaiting a final decision on which ministry will manage the Rohingya server. Had the earlier decision been implemented, we would have received it this week. Now, if the government takes an alternative approach, it is sufficient for us to be able to verify Rohingya fingerprints wherever the data resides."

Addressing NID correction issues, Kabir added, "The authority to process NID corrections, previously held at the regional election officer level, has now been delegated to district officers. The Commission is approving legitimate applications quickly to ensure public service delivery. We are all working collectively—both the Commission and the Secretariat—to deliver services efficiently."

He acknowledged a backlog of pending applications at the NID division and said responsibilities are being redistributed to expedite resolution. "We are also modifying the authority structure among EC Secretariat officers to streamline NID services. Regional offices already have categorization authority, and we are monitoring their activity. While many are categorizing properly, others are not."

Regarding duplicate entries, he said, "There are over 500 double NIDs. With more than 13 crore records, it’s not possible to manually check each one. If someone provides information and we can verify it, we take action."

He hinted that significant progress in processing pending NID correction requests can be expected in the coming week.