Dhaka: The Election Commission (EC) has disposed of 907,662 National Identity Card (NID) correction applications in the first half of 2025 under its special "Crash Programme". This initiative has significantly eased citizens' difficulties related to NID correction.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed, while briefing reporters at his office in Agargaon Election Building, stated that a total of 984,356 applications were submitted for NID correction during this period, of which only 76,694 applications are pending for disposal. Director General of the National Identity Registration Division, ASM Humayun Kabir, was also present during the briefing.
Akhtar Ahmed highlighted that when the "Crash Programme" began on January 1, 2025, there were 378,836 pending NID correction applications. By June 30, an additional 655,200 applications were filed, resulting in an average of 100,920 applications being submitted each month over the past six months. He acknowledged that while the aim was to reduce the backlog to zero, new applications are continuously submitted, preventing immediate processing.
The EC Senior Secretary explained that previously, the number of pending applications consistently remained above 300,000. However, dedicated efforts and strategic planning under the "Crash Programme" have led to significant improvements. The applications are categorized based on the level of correction needed, with each case resolved within a designated timeframe through document verification and hearings.
Since 2020, a total of 5,476,011 correction-related applications have been submitted, out of which 5,399,420 have been resolved. Akhtar Ahmed expressed optimism that the public's hardship in accessing civil services has lessened, and the number of applications has comparatively declined in the past six months. He is hopeful that conditions will continue to improve and complaints of harassment will be eliminated in the coming months.
Addressing inquiries about the locking of NIDs belonging to several individuals, including politicians, after August 5, Akhtar Ahmed clarified that NIDs are locked for various reasons, primarily to prevent misuse. He noted, "Even my own NID is locked! It wouldn't be appropriate to comment on individual cases."