NID services 'not table, chair', govt must discuss shift with EC: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda today urged the government to sit with the Election Commission to discuss its decision to transfer the National Identity (NID) services from the election body to the home ministry.

"If they want to shift it from us, they will have to talk to us over how they will do it. Then we'll raise more logic in favour of our stance," he said.

The CEC made these remarks while talking to reporters after inaugurating a medical camp at Electoral Training Institute (ETI) Bhaban in the Dhaka's Agargaon.

In reply to a question, Huda said the government should take the initiative of the discussion. "What will eventually happen or not is a matter of the next step (following the discussion)," he added.

Asked if there will be scope for discussion even after the issuance of gazette notification to shift the NID services, he said surely there is scope as it is a large institution.

"They must discuss how it will be shifted. It is not like table or chair that can be picked up this way (without having discussion)," he added.

The CEC said the EC has already created skilled manpower to run the NID services. If the services are shifted, new manpower will be needed.

"It will be good if the services can be rendered by our experienced persons," he said.

The government wants to shift the NID services from the EC to the Security Services Division under the Home Ministry. But the EC wants to keep the services under its authority.