The ad-hoc arrangement of voter ID card, and more particularly the national ID card, will fail to deliver its proper value if it is planned without keeping pace with the national ICT infrastructure and national strategy in adopting ICT in the mainstream of the government.

Before this major decision is taken, a detailed evaluation and study must be carried out on its deliverable results in terms of cost, time, public acceptance and, most importantly, the range of risks involved in the context of Bangladesh and its current environment.

In addition to initial cost and investment problems, these risks can be categorised in many ways.

For example; the problem of data gathering and data organising, as there is no national data-base in place; the relevance of the card for a large number of people who are illiterate and living under the poverty line; the ineffectiveness of the copyright law will put the security of ID cards at stake.

False ID cards will be produced in abundance, for sure, with the help of cheap technology. A proper and costly mechanism is needed to ensure the validity of the card with digital key/barcode, which may not be feasible for all the places/polling stations in Bangladesh.

Loss prevention and replacement of cards will be a huge problem, and the risk in allocation and distribution among the citizens, and pilferage, will add more problems.

After a billion-dollar loss in the previous project, there is surely a big risk of another loss if the factors and reasons for the failure are not addressed properly.

We should never think that the voter ID card is a magical tool, which will make the election process smooth and transparent.

Moreover, there are some preconditions for any innovation to succeed. A hastily implemented project would incur additional cost, and cause controversy in the end, if it fails to deliver the desired result.

About a decade ago, the BEC (Bangladesh Election Commission) initiated the Voter ID Card Project at a cost of Tk 1.78 billion. It is also reported that almost 76 percent of the then voters were issued with ID cards.

But the project was finally abandoned in June 2000 because of various allegations of corruption, and on the information that fake voters had received ID cards.

So this time, before undertaking the new venture, a detailed post-evaluation (not just for the sake of a report) should be carried out, if this has not already been done.

Then after addressing the problems, and the recommendations of the previous project, a detailed cost- benefit analysis should be carried out.

Apart from voter ID card, if other ways and means can bring an equal amount of value in the end, or can ensure transparency in the voting process, then, given the country's economic situation, those alternatives should be explored, instead of focusing on voter ID card.

The introduction of voter ID card is a debatable issue even in the developed countries, including USA. For example, if someone wants to vote by absentee ballot (which both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party encourage voters to do) it is pointless to have a voter ID.

A national ID card, on the other hand, may be a good idea if it is a multipurpose card, like Malaysia's "my card."

A national ID card, these days, comes with a computer chip containing the name, place of birth, date of birth and gender of the bearer, along with a serial number.

Other possible information included could be physical attributes such as height and the colour of the eyes, or additional information like current address, a sample signature etc.

Many developing courtiers are considering the introduction of ID cards, mainly as a measure to fight terrorism, identify illegal immigrants, etc.

Till now, many developed countries, like Canada and Australia, could not introduce national ID cards or voter ID cards for various reasons, like privacy protection, identity theft, personal choice and so on.

Another controversial issue is the possibility of including biometric data, such as a fingerprint or retinal pattern, in the card. However, those countries ensured transparency in voting through other mechanisms, not necessarily the ID card.

Also, without building the national IT infrastructure, enacting the relevant laws and adopting ICT in national strategy and planning, making only a voter ID card will be something like making a car without its engine.

It is an integrated process. To derive the maximum value, and to manage the entire voting process efficiently, a national database with national backing is required to complete the automated process.

An e-Revolution in the society is also needed to make such a venture a success, and the society needs to be prepared to embrace it.

Unfortunately, none of the governments in the past were serious about introducing ICT in the country, where it could be used as an important strategic tool for economic growth and also to address the deep rooted problems in public sector administration, like transparency, accountability and corruption.

ICT should no longer be seen simply as the office number cruncher; rather it has become the organisational brain and nervous system of the modern world.

It is encouraging that the caretaker government is showing seriousness in combating corruption, but how serious they are in implementation remains to be seen.

For long-term treatment of this disease, e-Governance can be the most powerful and effective tool, along with some other measures. Serious involvement and a strategy are required in this regard to automate the system, change the business process, and carry out necessary reforms in administration and law.

Bangladesh, being a least developed country, is struggling in the digital race of the world and, as per research findings, it is particularly lagging in e-Government implementation because of the lack of knowledge and awareness, lack of vision, political will, commitment, leadership and overall mindset.

Earlier, the international debate about the relevance of ICT to least developing countries had been resolved with an overwhelmingly "yes" answer. But its direction and implementation are yet to see any ray of light.

Regrettably, research and innovation in Bangladesh receive low priority in most of the pre- and post-evaluations of projects. Whereas, for a poor country like Bangladesh, the need for such research and investigation is far more important than it is in the West because every penny is valuable for us.

We simply can't afford to waste money in the name of project and experiment, without proper evaluation, feasibility study and calculation of ROI (Return of Investment).

So going into a big venture like voter ID card, with a population of 135 million, will be viable and acceptable only when all other associated issues are taken well care of, and the advantages and disadvantages are carefully examined.

Otherwise, the repetition of failures will be too much to bear for a poor country like Bangladesh. We believe that simply performing a political stunt is not the intention of the present caretaker government.

A more holistic, meticulous and viable approach is expected from them before they embark on this venture.

Ahmed Imran is a PhD candidate in Information System at the Australian National University.