EC issues new directive on NID date-of-birth corrections

Applications to correct the date of birth on National Identity Cards (NIDs) based on online-verifiable JSC, secondary or equivalent certificates can now be settled at the field level, according to a new directive from the Election Commission (EC).

Under the directive, issued on Thursday, field-level officials including upazila or thana election officers, senior district or district election officers, and assistant directors, deputy directors and directors of the NID Wing can settle such applications under the ‘A’ category.

The directive, signed by NID Registration Wing Director (Operations) Md Saiful Islam, said officials must follow the existing Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) when accepting educational certificates and other supporting documents.

Officials must also record the reasons or notes in the Central Management System (CMS) when approving or rejecting NID applications electronically.

The EC has instructed regional and additional regional election officers to regularly monitor the work of officials under their supervision. Each month, they must randomly review at least three applications handled by every authorised official and submit a report to the Director (Operations).

However, some applications will continue to require approval at the highest level. Applications for date-of-birth correction based on Open University certificates, as well as applications involving complete changes to the applicant’s own name and both parents’ names along with the date of birth, will be settled only at the director general level.

The directive also states that a citizen cannot apply for a second correction in the same field when seeking a complete change to their date of birth, own name or parents’ names.

The NID Registration Wing has asked all concerned officials to follow the instructions and take necessary action accordingly.

SKS