The investigation into the National Identity Card (NID) fraud cases has stalled, partly because of Corona Virus impact. Moreover, no new suspects have been arrested in the last 10 months in connection with such fraud cases .On the contrary, five of the arrested accused have been released on bail.
Hasan Mohammad Shawkat Ali, Deputy Commissioner of the counter-terrorism unit of the Chittagong police, blamed the Corona situation for stopping the investigation. The counter- terrorism unit of the Chittagong police is investigating the NID fraud case.
The names of 35 officers and employees have been mentioned in the investigation of the case and the statements of five employees were recorded under section 164.
Fifteen people, including 11 Election Commission (EC) personnel, have been arrested so far. However, no new arrests have been made since November 20, 2020.
For five years, the gang has been giving Bangladeshi NID to displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar in exchange for money. They have given Bangladeshi NID to at least 3,800 Rohingyas.
Hasan Mohammad Shawkat Ali, when contacted, told that there are some rules for arresting government employees. These are being complied with. The investigation will get a speed in a few days, he said.
According to the police sources, on August 22, 2019, a woman named Lucky went to the Chittagong district election office to collect a NID smart card.
Later, during the interrogation, it was revealed that the woman had arranged the NID in a nexus with Rohingyas in exchange for money. The case was registered at Kotwali police station and the counter-terrorism unit of the police started investigation.
According to court sources, 11 of the 15 arrested in the NID fraud case are EC workers, four of whom are permanent staff and seven are temporary. The rest are their collaborators. Five have pleaded guilty in court.
They are EC Chittagong Office Assistant Nazim Uddin, Office Assistant Anwar Hossain, Joynal Abedin, Temporary Data Entry Operator Mostafa Faruk and EC Dhaka Office Temporary Employee Shahnur Mia.
Their statements described the Rohingyas voting with EC laptops and other equipment at home and uploading them to EC servers through officials.
Five accused arrested in the case were released on bail from Chittagong Central Jail in May 2020. One of them has given a confessional statement.
They are- Chittagong District Election Office Assistant Abul Khair Bhuiyan, Office Assistant Anwar Hossain, Kotwali Police Data Entry
Operator Md. Shaheen, port police data entry operator Md. Zahid and, Double Mooring Police Station data entry operator Pavel Barua.
Chittagong Metropolitan Government Prosecutor Fakhruddin Chowdhury told that the activities of the virtual court are going on during the Corona. If the court proceedings were normal, the state would have opposed the bail. Akhter Kabir Chowdhury, Secretary, Citizens for Good Governance (SUJUN) in Chittagong, said, the investigation has already revealed that the fugitives are involved in the Rohingya voter-making ring in exchange for money.
“And if they can’t be arrested, those involved in the ECs will also remain at large.” he added.