The government plans to bring all citizen registration services, including National ID (NID) and birth registration, under one new body called the Civil Registration Commission. Right now, the Election Commission (EC) manages NID services, but a new law is being proposed to transfer this responsibility to the new commission. The government supports the transformation because it will establish an organized system which provides citizens with convenient access to registration services. The combined administration of birth registration and NID functions becomes more productive when these services operate under a single authority.
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal expresses disagreement about the proposed idea to the Election Commission. The Election Commission should maintain control over NID services because voter registration and elections rely heavily on these services according to him. The transfer of these services to another body concerns him because it may create difficulties for election processes. The government continues to advance with this plan yet additional discussions are expected to reach a final determination.
Source: Business Inspection BD
