EC Streamlines NID Services: Local Age Corrections and Simplified Expat Registration

In a major move to decentralize National Identity (NID) services and reduce administrative delays, the Election Commission (EC) has proposed structural reforms to simplify corrections and registrations.

Under the new policy, citizens will now be able to correct their date of birth directly at the field/local level based on official public examination certificates (PSC, JSC, and SSC). Additionally, the commission has eliminated a redundant verification step from the expatriate voter registration pipeline to expedite approvals. Senior Secretary of the EC Secretariat, Akhtar Ahmed, disclosed these decisions on Tuesday (July 21) following the 12th Commission meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin.

The Secretary further highlighted that online applications for voter area transfers will now require a standardized service fee, while 15-year mandatory NID renewals will incorporate a "family tree" disclosure to maintain data integrity. Addressing the diaspora, the EC noted that biometrics submitted abroad will now be uploaded directly into the central system for instant verification, effectively bypassing long queue delays. Officials believe these reforms will significantly ease public suffering at regional offices while accelerating NID delivery for overseas Bangladeshis.