NID registration to stay with EC until new law takes effect: EC secretary

The National Identity (NID) registration operation is not going under the purview of the Security Services Division of the Home Ministry right now. As of now, it will continue to be managed by the Election Commission (EC), said Secretary Md Jahangir Alam of the commission.

On Wednesday, while addressing reporters at his office in the Election Building, Agargaon, he said the new legislation regarding national identity registration will become enforceable once the government announces its implementation date through a gazette notification.
 
Until the law establishes an effective date, the authority for NID registration operation will remain unchanged, he said.

The National Identity Registration Bill 2023 was passed in parliament last week to transfer the national identity registration operation from the Election Commission to the Security Services Division of the Home Ministry.
 
"Until the home ministry completes preparations (including offices and manpower) and sets the date, the EC will oversee the activities," said Md Jahangir Alam.
 
Regarding the recent NID server shutdown, he said, "The occurrence of such shutdowns cannot be predicted in advance. Electronic devices can experience downtime unexpectedly."
 
He further said, "Our NID server is a valuable asset that undergoes regular updates. Temporary server shutdowns for a day or two are a common practice worldwide."
 
When questioned about the potential risks, the EC secretary responded, "The possibility of cyber-attacks exists wherever valuable information is stored. When any threat becomes imminent, proactive protection becomes essential."
 
Regarding the preparations for the upcoming national elections, Jahangir Alam said, "In alignment with the EC's directives, election preparations are progressing as per the established roadmap. We are on schedule, with the training of trainers already underway since 2 September. Around one million polling officers will undergo training."
 
"Then we will train UNOs, district election commissioners, deputy commissioners, divisional commissioners, superintendents of police, regional election officers, and police commissioners from the first week of October. We will train 100 people in four batches," he said.
 
In response to the inquiry about the appointment of returning officers for the polls, the EC secretary said it has not been finalised yet. The decision will be made during an upcoming commission meeting.
 
Concerning the impartiality of officials, he said, "A letter has been dispatched to the cabinet division, which will subsequently communicate the directives at the field level. We will collaborate with all relevant bodies in accordance with the commission's decisions to ensure a fair and impartial election."