All voters to get smart cards by 2022: DG

Brigadier General Saidul Islam, Director General of the National Identity Registration Wing of Election Commission (EC) said the new project will provide smart cards to all voters in the country by 2022.

He told this to the reporters in his room at the Election Commission building in the capital’s Agargaon on Tuesday (November 24) afternoon.

The DG said, “As you all have already known, today at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved seven projects at a cost of Tk 10,702.23 crore. At the ECNEC meeting, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the Election Commission Secretariat’s ‘Identification System for Enhancing Access to Services (IDEA) (Phase II)’ project. The cost of which has been estimated at Tk 1805.9 crore. The project will be implemented between July this year and June 2025.”

He further said, “Paper laminating cards will be given to those who are not voters from the age of 10 to 17 years. In addition, every child will be given a unique ID number immediately after birth.”