Discussion a must before NID service shifts: CEC
Both the government and the EC have valid arguments regarding this issue, and the commission wants to discuss them in detail
Further discussion is a must before the national identity (NID) card registration service is transferred from the Election Commission (EC) to the home ministry's Security Services Division, as such a move will cause problems for the commission.
After inaugurating a medical camp at the Electoral Training Institute building in Dhaka on Wednesday, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda told reporters, "The NID wing is large, so it cannot be transferred at will like furniture.
"I am certain that a secretary-level discussion will be held on how this shift will occur, and the EC plans to convey the advantages and disadvantages of this issue there."
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He further said, "I cannot say that the EC will take this matter to the government, as they have already made up their mind. The EC is also not in a position to oppose this decision. The most important step for us is to engage in a discussion regarding the transfer of NID services.
"Both the government and the EC have valid arguments regarding this issue. We will discuss them in detail. The government says this particular service does not fall under the commission's jurisdiction, which is true for many other countries. But this service is the culmination of a lot of hard work by EC."
Adding that the NID registration process is the pride of EC, KM Nurul Huda said, "Thousands of sincere and professional employees from the commission are currently doing this job.
"They managed to develop an intricate system using advanced technology after years of trial and error. It will be nearly impossible for any other department to train this much skilled manpower without spending at least another 12 years."
The National Identity Registration Act must be amended before the national identity (NID) card registration service is transferred from the Election Commission (EC) to the home ministry's Security Services Division.
The Prime Minister's Office has already issued a letter in this regard to the cabinet division, keeping the home ministry and election commission in the loop over the matter.
