The Election Commission yesterday started distribution of smart national identity (NID) cards in 27 districts.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda opened the distribution process through a videoconference from the capital's Nirbachan Bhaban.

The deputy commissioners and district election officers from eight districts -- Gopalganj, Bogra, Patuakhali, Cox's Bazar, Noakhali, Pabna, Gaibandha and Netrakona -- joined the videoconference.

Last month, the EC decided to complete the machine readable card distribution across the country by December 2018.

The EC earlier started the distribution of smart NID cards in the areas of the country's 11 city corporations after launching the distribution process in October 2016.

The 27 districts are Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Panchagarh, Gaibandha, Nilphamari, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Bogra, Joypurhat, Pabna, Meherpur, Bagerhat, Narail, Pirojpur, Patuakhali, Jhalakathi, Barguna, Gopalganj, Shariatpur, Netrakona, Habiganj, Sunamganj, Noakhali, Bandarban, Khagrachhari, Cox's Bazar and Rangamati.