Los Angeles expatriate Bangladeshis finally get NID after 35-year wait

Golam Kibria has been living in Los Angeles, California, USA, for a long 35 years. The 65-year-old expatriate does not have a National Identity Card (NID) of Bangladesh due to his long stay abroad. This causes him problems with bank and asset-related legal work in the country. He also could not exercise his voting because he did not have an NID.

Many other expatriate Bangladeshis there are victims like Golam Kibria. Syed Nasir Jabul, a social worker in Los Angeles, told Prothom Alo that one has to spend a lot of money to travel to Bangladesh just to get an NID. Even then, they had to return without getting an NID, which is a waste of money.

Finally, the long wait of the expatriates is going to end. The NID registration process for expatriates is officially starting today, Thursday, at 4:00 pm (Los Angeles time) at the Bangladesh Consulate in Los Angeles.

This service is being launched by the Election Commission, which was a long-standing demand of the Bangladeshi expatriates living in the United States. From now on, they will receive all NID-related services from the Consulate without having to go to the country. At the same time, if the project is implemented, expatriate Bangladeshis will be able to vote in the national parliamentary elections for the first time.

Consul General of the Bangladesh Consulate in Los Angeles, Kazi Jabed Iqbal, told Prothom Alo, “I have joined here a few days ago. Right after joining, the NID service is being launched for the expatriates, which is a great joy for me. We will try our best so that the expatriates can receive their National Identity Card quickly after applying.”

The Consul General also said that although expatriates have dreamt of directly participating in the country’s elections for a long time, the opportunities for its implementation were limited. This dream is turning into a reality through the launch of the National Identity Card and voter registration programme.

Expatriate Bangladeshis can apply for NID by filling out Form-2(A) online. Additional documents can also be submitted if necessary. These include educational qualification certificates, the designated form for special areas declared by the Election Commission, citizenship certificates, marriage certificate and the NID of the husband or wife, driving license, TIN certificate, citizenship certificate from the local administration, and copies of utility bills or house rent receipts.

After verifying all the documents, the Election Commission will prepare an on-site investigation report through the Upazila Election Officer under the applicant’s permanent address. Once the application is verified, the NID will be handed directly to the applicant.

Earlier, the Election Commission published a list of necessary documents for voter registration and obtaining NID for Bangladeshis residing abroad. The Commission’s instructions state that expatriates can apply by filling out the prescribed online Form-2(A) and must submit the documents at the time of application.

These documents include the online filled application form, a copy of the online verified birth registration certificate, a copy of a valid or expired Bangladeshi passport or foreign passport, or a certificate from three Bangladeshi nationals living in the same country who have an NID, copies of the applicant’s parents'' NID or birth registration or citizenship or passport, and one color passport-size photograph.

The Election Commission has informed that if the applicant cannot be present in person, his nominated representative residing in Bangladesh can submit the documents to the concerned Upazila or Thana Election Office. The local election officer will verify the information provided in the application form. The application may be canceled if the documents are not correct and authentic.

A special rule has been added for expatriates to get NID. The expatriate who applies for NID must submit an attestation letter from three Bangladeshi citizens currently living at his present address. The attestation letter must state that the applicant expatriate person is indeed a citizen of Bangladesh and is living at the said address.

The name, NID number, passport number, mobile phone number, permanent address, and present address of the three attesters must be clearly mentioned in the attestation letter.

ASM Humayun Kabir, Director General of the National Identity Registration Wing of the Election Commission, told Prothom Alo, "We will try to give identity cards quickly to those who apply for NID in October so that expatriates can vote in the country’s elections." He also said that if the documents are correctly submitted at the time of application, it will not take long to get the NID.