Home ministry to get authority to issue NID, EC loses it

The election commission is set to lose authority to issue the national identity (NID) card as the cabinet has approved the draft law 'National Identity Registration Act, 2023'.

If the new act is passed in the parliament, a registrar office under the security services division of the home ministry will provide NID.

The draft law was given the final approval at the cabinet meeting held at the prime minister's office with prime minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair on Monday.

Later the cabinet secretary Md Mahbub Hossain disclosed the decision at a press conference at the secretariat on Monday afternoon.

Earlier, on 10 October 2022, the cabinet in principle approved the draft of National Identity Registration Act.

Mahbub Hossaion said in accordance with the proposed law, the NID registration activities will be run by the security services division of the home ministry. There will be an office for registrar. The registrar will be the chief of this office.

According to the new law, any citizen will get citizen certificate or a number immediately after birth. This number will remain unchanged. When a citizen will get this number, he or she will not require any other number for identity.

Replying to newsmen, the cabinet secretary said all information related to NID registration will be shifted to the new office of registrar.

In answering to another question, he said those, who have already received NID, will remain valid.

As per the existing law, only those, who are 18 years of old or above, are eligible for NID.

According to the proposed law, people of any age can take NID.

The cabinet secretary said the initiative has been taken to get rid of all hassle. The main goal is to keep all information in one ID number.

Cabinet secretary Mahbub Hossain said the activities of NID registration will begin through the new office of registrar since the date set by the government after the passage of the law.