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EC receives 6.57m NID correction applications, rejects 1.36m
Published : Saturday, 24 October, 2026 at 5:38 PM
Observer Online Report
The Election Commission (EC) has received 6,570,842 applications for correcting national identity card (NID) information, of which 6,442,832 have been processed and 1,355,157 rejected for various reasons, according to data updated until October 18.
A total of 128,010 applications remain pending, data from the EC’s National Identity Registration Wing showed.
EC officials said applications submitted up to 2024 have been processed, while the disposal of applications filed in 2025 is nearing completion. However, an average of 80,000 to 90,000 new applications are submitted every month, leaving some cases pending.
The commission is prioritising timely disposal, the screening of unjustified applications and the prevention of fraud. It has introduced deadlines for processing applications, expanded the authority of officials at upazila and district levels, and strengthened monitoring by senior officials.
Senior Secretary of the EC Secretariat Akhtar Ahmed said the primary objective was to ensure accuracy in processing applications and voter registration so that corrections would not be necessary later.
He said applications without valid grounds were being rejected after scrutiny, while greater emphasis was being placed on disposing of cases within the stipulated time. A special initiative last year had helped process a large number of applications, he added.
According to EC data, 69,252 applications under category ‘D’ remain pending, including 68,269 filed in 2026 and 983 submitted in 2025.
The Dhaka and Cumilla regions have relatively high numbers of pending applications, with 10,615 and 10,559 cases respectively. Other regions also have significant backlogs, including Mymensingh with 8,332, Rajshahi with 6,875, Chattogram with 6,688 and Sylhet with 6,469.
The commission has also tightened scrutiny of applications to correct dates of birth. Under a circular issued on August 13, applications supported by online-verifiable JSC, secondary or equivalent certificates can be processed under category ‘A’ by the relevant upazila or thana election officer. Certificates from the Bangladesh Open University are excluded.
Regional election officials have been instructed to monitor the work of subordinate officers and review at least three randomly selected applications processed by each responsible officer every month.
Md Saiful Islam, director (operations) of the National Identity Registration Wing, said many applications were not eligible for correction. In some cases involving age corrections, the age gap between a father and a child was found to be only 10 years. In other cases, the correction would indicate that the applicant was younger than 18 when registered as a voter.
He said some applicants resubmitted rejected applications under different categories, contributing to repeated cases and the pending workload.
The EC has also pledged tougher action against NID-related fraud. Akhtar Ahmed said individuals suspected of involvement in fraud were being handed over to law enforcement agencies, while administrative action was being taken against any EC officials or employees found involved.
The commission is exploring a technology-based system to prevent fraud before it occurs, alongside public awareness campaigns and advice through its helpdesk.
Officials said improving the accuracy of information at the initial registration stage, raising public awareness and ensuring accountability throughout the correction process would be essential to reducing the number of future applications.
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
