Ifaz Rehan: The National Identity Card (NID) registration service, previously under the Election Commission, has now been transferred to the Ministry of Home Affairs through the passage of the ‘National Identity Registration Bill 2023’.
On Wednesday, September 13th, the Minister of Home Affairs, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, presented the bill for approval in parliament, and it was subsequently passed by the voices of the majority of parliament members.
This new law replaces the National Identity Registration Act of 2010.
However, despite the bill’s passage, the registration service will not immediately come under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The bill stipulates that the law will become effective through a government gazette notification. In this regard, it may take up to one to two years for the necessary preparations to be completed and for the registration service to transition to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
However, opposition members have raised concerns during discussions on the bill, alleging that this decision by the government will lead to further abuse of power against ordinary citizens.
They argue that the police force has not yet been entirely people-friendly. Opposition members recently pointed out incidents of police officers’ misconduct and alleged mistreatment, including harassment of student leaders by Chhatra League members and police baton charges against lawyers in court premises.
In response to these concerns, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal clarified that anyone committing a crime would face legal consequences. He emphasized that even the police officers in question are not above the law and immediate actions have been taken against them.
The debate over this bill continues, with discussions centered on how it will impact the rights and security of citizens in Bangladesh.