Smart card distribution in 27 dists to begin on Friday

Staff Correspondent: The Election Commission is expanding its smartcard distribution to the district level. Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda will inaugurate the distribution work in the Sadar Upazilas via a videoconference from the Election Bhaban in Agargaon on Friday.

Voters will get smartcards in districts, more than a year after distribution began in Dhaka.

Hossain Ashiqur Rahman, junior consultant communication officer of the national identity card registration wing, told this to the reporters on Thursday. 

He said, "On Friday the CEC will officially inaugurate distribution at 27 Sadar Upazilas through a videoconference. The Upazilas have been selected for the first phase considering the overall condition of the facilities."

The distribution will be handled by the district administration and election officials.

Faridpur region: Gopalganj’s Tungipara and Shariatpur Sadar

Chittagong region: Bandarban Sadar, Khagrachhari Sadar, Cox’s Bazar Sadar and Rangamati Sadar

Barisal region: Pirojpur Sadar, Patuakhali Sadar, Jhalakathi Sadar and Borguna Sadar

Khulna region: Meherpur Sadar, Bagerhat Sadar, Narail Sadar

Sylhet region: Habiganj Sadar and Sunamganj Sadar

Rajshahi region: Bogra Sadar, Joypurhat Sadar and Pabna Sadar

Mymensingh region: Netrokona Sadar

Rangpur region: Kurigram Sadar, Lalmonirhat Sadar, Panchagarh Sadar, Gaibandha Sadar, Nilphamari Sadar, Dinajpur Sadar and Thakurgaon Sadar

Comilla region: Noakhali Sadar
 

Initially, the EC had considered not starting the distribution in the Gaibandha Sadar, Nilphamari Sadar, Nilphamari Sadar, Dinajpur Sadar and Thakurgaon Sadar regions due to the upcoming Rangpur polls, but it decided to go ahead when no problems arose, Ashiqur Rahman said.

The smartcard distribution initially began in the two Dhaka divisions and in Kurigram’s defunct enclaves before serially expanding to the Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal, Sylhet, Rangpur, Comilla, Narayanganj and Gazipur city corporations.

Currently Bangladesh has 101.8 million voters on its list. The number will rise to 104.6 million after new voters are added and dead voters are purged from the lists for the upcoming eleventh parliamentary elections.

risingbd/Dhaka/November 30, 2017/Hasibul/A K Azad