EC gives scandal-hit co second chance

The company that made 9.3 million sub-standard national identity cards for the election commission (EC) has been given a second chance.

The EC signed a new deal with Smart Technologies (BD) Limited on 15 July, asking it to deliver quality cards by the next three months.

"They made a mistake. We've recommended the fine be realised from the security deposit. However, we've signed a new deal with them considering the fact that they had incurred some losses," said Md Saidul Islam, director general of national identity card registration cell.

The EC had wanted to give youths who became voters after 2012 these identity cards and appointed Smart Technologies to deliver the cards. The company won the tender despite bidding the highest, Tk 90 million, and yet they produced cards printed on paper.

As per the contract, this company was to deliver the cards by December 2017, a deadline it failed to meet as well.

Smart Tech finished the job in February this year, but the EC investigations found that the printed cards were of low quality.

The cards were not printed using the best machinaries, rather at different shops in Agargaon area, where the EC office is located.

To this end, a report was published in the online edition of Prothom Alo on 19 June, which led to the steps.

Joint secretary of EC secretariat Abdul Baten said the whole course of the task will now be carried out under the EC supervision and necessary equipment will be set on the 11th floor of the EC building to facilitate the process.

The low quality cards Smart Technologies had produced will be destroyed in presence of the top EC officials while 60 skilled staff of the company will regularly be at the EC office to supervise the work, the official said.

The managing director of Smart Technologies Zahirul Islam said, "We did a mistake last time, which affected the goodwill of our company. This time we will be very professional and we will not produce any card without the EC's permission."