Dhaka – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the Election Commission to ensure security of citizens’ personal data while preparing the biometric National Identity Cards.

Hasina while inaugurating Bangladesh’s first-ever smart national ID cards on Sunday also suggested for firewall in such a digital project to check forgery.

“I would like to request the Election Commission to ensure security of the data being used for preparing smart national identity cards … there should have firewall and all kinds of security in every digital project so that none can misuse it,” she said.

There are adequate technologies in the country and it’s very much necessary to use those technologies to check forgery in using the smart NID cards, Hasina added.

She formally inaugurated the distribution of the smart NID cards at Osmani Memorial Hall in Dhaka as the Election Commission launched distribution of the machine-readable smart cards among 10 crore citizens replacing the existing paper-laminated ones.

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed was present at the function as the special guest, while Election Commission Secretariat Secretary Md Sirajul Islam delivered the welcome address.

World Bank Country Director Qimiao Fan spoke and Project Director of Identification System for Enhancing Accesses to Services Brigadier General Sultanuzzaman Md Saleh Uddin gave a short presentation on the smart NID cards.

The prime minister also directed the Election Commission to stay more alert against duplicating the smart NID cards.

“The smart NID cards are being prepared with the world’s latest technologies and I hope that preparing counterfeit cards won’t be possible in any way,” Hasina was quoted to have said by state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sagstha.

She hoped that with the providing of the smart NID cards to all citizens, a revolutionary change would take place in receiving government services.

“Cheating and forgery would come down with the introduction smart NID cards and none would be spared after committing crimes,” she said.

The premier said the database of the national ID cards and smart national ID cards have received certificates of the international attestation authority and it (card) would be treated as the international standard national ID card including travel card.

“The card would ensure state and social services and facilities for the citizens side by side with their identity,” she said.

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