The Election Commission will not hand over its own server even though the National Identity Card (NID) registration department goes under the Ministry of Home Affairs. And if the National Identity Registration (NID) department is taken under the Home Ministry by the government, the EC will start issuing ‘Voter Cards’.
This information was given by Election Commissioner Md. Alamgir while talking to journalists in his office on Thursday, October 20, 2022.
The EC Commissioner told that even if the NID is taken over, there is no scope to hand over the voter server. There is no provision to hand over the server to any other authority. It is the property of the EC. However, we may share information. If the NID goes to the Home Ministry, they only may be given the information if they want to use it.
EC Alamgir said, if NID is taken over, I will name it ‘Voter ID’. Those who are voters will get the card from us. We did not make it as NID cards. We made it as a Voter Card. Our servers will remain with us. We will not transfer this server to anyone. Everybody speaks about the issue, no matter they know or not about the sanctity of it.
He also told that, if the NID division is taken over by the government under the Ministry of Home Affairs, we will then provide Voter Cards. No harm to EC, if NID is taken over. NID is one thing, Voter Card is something different. EC works on voter list. EC does not hold elections based on NID. They work on the basis of voter list.
The process of transferring National Identity Card (NID) services and all activities from the Election Commission (EC) to the Security Services Department of the Ministry of Home Affairs is underway. On October 10, the draft ‘National Identity Registration Act, 2022’ was given conditional in-principle approval by the Cabinet.
If this law is passed, the National Identity Card (NID) will be transferred from the Election Commission to the Security Department of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Recently, Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam told reporters that there is a new law for NID. If it is passed, the NID will go under the Ministry of Home Affairs from the Election Commission. NID will be given to the citizens immediately after birth.
However, EC has been doing this work since 2008 as a by-product of voter list. That is why former chief election commissioners, EC secretaries and even common people want it to remain with the EC.