NIDs of 35,000 Citizens Locked Due to Software Complications

National Identity Cards (NIDs) of approximately 35,000 citizens remain locked due to software complications, with the Election Commission (EC) unable to specify when these cards can be fully reactivated. However, the agency has stated that software development work is underway to resolve the issue. Officials from the EC’s NID wing shared this information on Thursday.

According to EC sources, citizen NIDs are being locked due to issues such as low fingerprint quality, matches with other individuals’ fingerprints, and similar technical complications. To address these problems, the commission has initiated steps to develop new software. Among the locked NIDs, dual voter cases constitute the largest share.

Additionally, some citizens’ identity cards have been locked following court orders, ongoing Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) cases, and requests from law enforcement agencies. For individuals identified as dual voters, one NID is retained, and the other is canceled following scrutiny. Typically, the NID issued first is retained, while the subsequently acquired NID is canceled. However, final decisions are made only after necessary verification in each case.

Regarding the matter, Election Commission Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said, ‘Work on creating software to resolve NID-related complications is underway. Once it is ready, it will be possible to resolve these issues at the upazila level. Currently, we are unlocking the NIDs of those who are informing us directly.’