NID card distribution begins in 3 districts

The Election Commission started the distribution of National Identity (NID) cards in three districts — Dhaka, Gazipur and Manikganj — among the fresh voters on Wednesday.   The NID card distribution across the country will complete in phases by October 31, ahead of the next general election due by January 24 next.
The undistributed old NID cards will also be distributed with the fresh ones.   Enumerators will go for door-to-door distribution of NID cards in the capital and Dhaka for the first two weeks. If anyone fails to collect the cards in the first two weeks, s/he will have to collect his or her NID card contacting the enumerator concerned over the next two weeks.
After four weeks, the undistributed NID cards will be distributed from upazila or thana election offices. As many as 8,40,225 NID cards will be distributed in the three districts. Of them, 5,32261 NID cards will be distributed in Dhaka, 17,0844 in Gazipur and 1,37,120 in Manikganj. Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad said NID card distribution kicked off today (Wednesday). The field-level distribution of NID cards will continue for one month in each area. Later, the voters will be able to collect the undistributed cards from upazila/thana offices.   “The NID card is not needed for casting vote. It’s enough of having name in the voter list to exercise franchise,” he told reporters at his EC secretariat office.   A total of 74,87998 NID cards — 480993 old undistributed cards prepared after the 2009 voter list update and 7006,995 fresh ones prepared in 2012 and 2013, are now being distributed across the country.   The number of the country’s voter has risen to 9 crore 19 lakh,48,224 after inclusion of some 70 lakh fresh voters in 2012 and 2013. – UNB