Security of citizens' data must be ensured
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked the Election Commission to ensure the security of the data being used for preparing smart national identity (NID) cards, saying there should be a firewall in such a digital project to check forgery.
She was inaugurating the distribution of smart NID cards at a function in the capital's Osmani Memorial Hall.
Hasina said: "There are adequate technologies in the country and it's very much necessary to utilise them to check forgery in using the smart NID cards."
The EC launched distribution of the much-awaited machine-readable smart NID cards among 10 crore citizens, replacing the existing paper-laminated cards.
Hasina formally opened the distribution by handing over the smart NID card of President Abdul Hamid to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad.
Later, the CEC handed over the PM her smart NID card.
After that, Hasina distributed smart NID cards to members of the national cricket team, including the captain and brand ambassador of smart NID cards Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and ace allrounder Shakib Al Hasan.
CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad was present at the function as the special guest, while EC 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.
Ministers, PM's advisers, parliament members, foreign diplomats, ex-CECs and election commissioners, civil society members, members of the national cricket team and high civil and military officials were present at the function.
Earlier, Election Commissioner M Shah Newaz told BSS that the EC would collect biometric details, impression of 10 fingers and picture of iris of the card holders during the distribution of smart cards.
For being machine readable, the smart cards have additional safety measures against forgery.
The distribution of NID cards will begin in two city corporations in Dhaka and in now-defunct Dashiarchhara enclave in Phulbari upazila in Kurigram today.
Later, the cards would be distributed at upazila, municipality, union and ward levels in phases.
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