THE government and the Election Commission have been at variance with the national identity registration services, which involve the preparation, distribution and maintenance of identity cards and other related responsibilities. The government wants to set up an independent commission, the Civil Registration Commission, and put the national identity registration services, which have so far been under the Election Commission, under the commission that the government plans. The government has already approved the draft of the National Identity Registration (Repeal) Ordinance 2025 that transfers the responsibility for national identity registration and the issuance of national identity cards from the Election Commission. The government also plans that the commission to be set up would also deal with the registration of birth, death, marriage, divorce, adoption and determining the cause of death in addition to the collection of migration, healthcare and education data. The government has also worked out a draft of the Civil Registration (Commission) Ordinance 2025 that would form the separate commission to take over the responsibilities. The Cabinet Division on March 3 reviewed the draft of the ordinance.
But the Election Commission believes that the national identity registration services should remain under its control. It fears that the commission鈥檚 work would otherwise be hampered. The chief election commissioner has said that it will send a recommendation to the government in this direction. Whilst he says that the government would make a decision considering all practical issues as an electoral update is under way, with an election approaching, he says that there has been a sense of disappointment among the commission officials regarding the transfer of the services. A number of political parties also think that the government should hold discussions with the Election Commission and other stakeholders in details on the transfer of the services to a separate entity. The Awami League government, which was toppled amidst a mass uprising on August 5, 2024, initiated a move to put the services under the home affairs ministry and passed the National Identity Registration Act 2023, which was, however, repealed after the fall of the Awami League government. It was believed that the Awami League鈥檚 move of putting the services under the home affairs ministry was fraught with mala fide intention. The interim government should not, therefore, make haste in the transfer of the services to a separate entity. The government鈥檚 having already worked out two ordinances, keeping people almost in the dark, is also unwarranted.
The government should, therefore, first hold detailed discussions with stakeholders on the matter, put the issue to debates and then make a decision in the best interests of all.