Authenticity may be hampered if NID goes under home ministry: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal has expressed his concern that the authenticity may be hampered if the authorities of the National Identity (NID) cards go to the home ministry.

"Voter database is closely linked with NID. If it is taken under another agency, the authenticity may be hampered," he told journalists at the Election Commission (EC) headquarters in the capital on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, EC officials and staff handed over a memorandum to the CEC for keeping the NID authorities under the commission.

Kazi Habibul Awal said that a law is in the offing to take the NID administration under the Security Service Division of the home ministry.

"Our officials came to talk to us about this. Our officers and employees have been associated with NID for 15 or 18 years. Through them, the NID has risen to such a high level," he added.

The CEC said it will be better if the NID administration stays under the commission. It will be good for the country. NID service will continue to be available as before.

"If it goes away, the interrelation between the NID and commission may be hampered," he added.

In a separate development, Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retd) Md Ahsan Habib Khan blasted the citizen platform Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) for holding press conference instead of placing its arguments on the electronic voting machine (EVM) directly to the commission.

"We sat with technical experts as well as technical committees of different political parties on EVM. We invited them (Shujan) too. But they did not respond. We gave them five months. Why suddenly this press conference, what is the purpose?" he posed a question.

"Our door is always open for them. Why do they throw their challenges at a press conference? What is the difficulty to throw their challenges to us directly? Come to us here and throw your challenges," he added.

In response to a question, he said, people's trust will surely be restored.

"The mistrust of parties may come from their past experiences but the future will be beautiful that's guaranteed. We will take lessons from the past," he added.

The commission said whenever EVM will be used in any upcoming city or by-elections, voters will say EVM is better.