EC wants to deliver smartcard to expatriates in March.Election Commission (EC) has been voting online for Bangladeshi migrants living in different countries. And after all the process, the company wants to distribute high quality National Identity Card (NID) or smart card to the expatriates next March.
EC is currently applying for voter registration by creating an online portal for expatriates living in the UK, Dubai, Malaysia.
It is reported that the highest number of respondents in Dubai. Expatriates in the UK are also interested. However, Malaysia did not receive much response.
Operations planning and communications officer in charge of the National Identity Registration (NID) Division of the EC, Kazi Ashikuzzaman, in charge of the squadron leader, told banglanews that at least 400 applications had come from Dubai. At least 60 applications have come from Malaysia.
It is reported that there have been 50 such applications since the opening of the UK. However, irrespective of the number of applications, the EC wants to distribute the smartcard of the expatriates next March. The company plans to continue the operation later this month.
According to the proposal of the Bangladesh High Commission of the United Kingdom, the card is being planned to give citizens living in the country. Apart from this, the program can also be started in Dubai.
Election Commissioner Begum Kavita Khanam told banglanews that there are plans to distribute smart cards in limited form in March. However, it will depend on how well the applicants apply. Because their applications are being scrutinized from their own area. In case of verification of the application, the smart card will be distributed from the concerned High Commission, Embassy of the smart card with the reflection of the ten fingerprints, the iris of the eye.
EC officials say Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda also agreed with the Bangladesh High Commission’s proposal for a limited distribution in March.
The EC began its online voting process on February 12. Earlier, the program was launched on November 18,2019 in Dubai. Earlier, the Election Commission started functioning on the voter list of Bangladeshi nationals in Malaysia in the same year and introduced smart national identity cards. Through this, the company unveiled the door to the entry of voter registration and smart national identity card into the voter list of expatriate Bangladeshi citizens. Later, the program will start in Saudi Arabia, Singapore and other countries around the world.
EC officials say there is good response from Dubai and the UK in these three countries. And Malaysia is getting less response.
Election Commissioner Kavita Khanam is coordinating the Malaysia
program. He said maybe the residents here are a little more working class. Those who do not have education. Because of that the application is coming less. Besides, due to some legal problems, many may not respond in that way. But hopefully it will increase slowly.
Brigadier General Md. Director General of the National Identity Registration Division. Saidul Islam said Bangladeshi expatriates from the UK, Dubai, Malaysia can apply online at the services.nidw.gov.bd website. After verification of the information received, the departments will be given smart national identity cards along with biometric collections.Documents to be attached to the application:
Documents to be attached to the application:
Copies of valid passports, duplicate citizenship certificates if the foreign passport holder or the Home Ministry’s permit, the passport of a Bangladeshi citizen identified as a Bangladeshi citizen, with no relatives’ name, mobile number-NID number pledged in blood and no declaration in Bangladesh. Symbol of the embassy concerned Credit carddifferent countries.
About 1.5 crore expatriate Bangladeshis are living in different countries.
At present, there are voters in the country of 10 crore and 42 lacs. This number will increase after the ongoing update process.
News Room, Feb 15,2020