The Election Commission (EC) has a constitutional responsibility, but within which providing of National Identity Cards (NIDs) was not included, said EC Secretary Md Jahangir Alam.
He made the remarks while addressing the press on the topic of the draft ‘National Identification Registration Bill, 2023’, at the EC building in capital Dhaka on Tuesday.
According to the law, the commission has been assigned various other responsibilities and in line with this, when the comprehensive voter list was compiled in 2008, nearly 80 million voters' information was collected from the extensive voter list, and from there the NID distribution process began.
The responsibility for this was assigned to the EC, he said adding that the government had assigned the task of issuing NIDs to the commission via a law and that authorities are now amending the same law and assigning the responsibility to someone else. "The EC has no comment on this matter. The commission will definitely abide by the government's decision," he furthered.
Earlier on Monday (12 June), the cabinet gave the final approval to the draft National Identification Registration Bill, 2023, in a move to shift the NID services under the home affairs ministry from the EC and introduce a unique number for each citizen.
The EC currently conducts the national identity registration operation and has been issuing NIDs against citizens aged 18 or above, since 2007, as per the National Identity Registration Act, 2010.
Meanwhile, the EC on Tuesday ordered for an investigation into the alleged attack on IslamiAndolan Bangladesh mayoral candidate in Barishal City Corporation elections, Mufti Syed Faizul Karim, on Monday.
"Reports surfaced mentioning an attack on Mufti Syed Faizul Karim, ensuing protests, an agent entering a polling booth to give instructions to a voter at Kaunia Branch Hafizia Madrasa station, and a presiding officer receiving threats," reads a press release issued by the EC on Tuesday.
The statement also said some irregularities were reported in various electronic and print media regarding the BCC elections.
The commission directed the Barisal Metropolitan Police commissioner to conduct an investigation into the matter and identify the persons responsible, seeking a report on the measures taken, according to the release.
Besides, the deputy commissioner of Barisal and the returning officer of BCC election have been instructed to investigate into the said matters and submit a report to the commission by 14 June.
