'Now how to get my voter ID card, Sir?’

Voter ID cards ready for distribution at DCC ward 50.Photo: STAR

Many people in the city are yet to get their voter ID cards and in a fix since they do not know from where to collect those.
Who missed the date of collecting the ID cards are in trouble. There is a lack of adequate publicity on the part of the authorities to let people know from where they will have to collect the cards.
“Around three months ago my entire family and I went to take pictures for voter ID cards. We all were very enthusiastic. But till now we have not get the cards,” said Nazli, a resident of Mirpur.
“After the voter listing work was over, we got a notice that anyone can go to the centre to correct mistakes in their forms. But after that we did not get any further notice,” she said.
A few weeks ago the authorities announced in Uttara through megaphones asking people to collect ID cards from the voter listing centres.
“When we went there, we were told that some cards are being distributed and the rest will be distributed later, but we still don't know when or from where," said a resident of Uttara Sector-11.
A resident of Moghbazar said he missed the date of collecting his ID card and now he does not know from where to collect that.
"I was supposed to collect my voter ID card from Ispahani Girls' High School on a Friday. I could not go there as I was busy on that day. I went on next Sunday and they asked me to come on Friday next,” he said. “
“When I went there on next Friday, the gatekeeper stopped me and said that there was no one in the school. There was no notice to inform us about what I should do. When I contacted the school authorities they could not say anything. I do not know what to do now. There is no notice on the TV or in newspapers about from where we can collect the cards," he added.
Principal of the school expressed ignorance about voter registration. “All the work has been done by the voter registration authorities. We just gave them the venue. Our teachers and staff were not involved," he said.
Asked, an official at the Information Centre of the Election Commission (EC) said that the ID cards are being distributed from the registration centres rather than centrally.
"Those who did not collect their voter ID cards in city corporation areas can collect those from the offices of their local ward commissioners. At the upazila level the undistributed cards can be collected from Union Parishad offices," he said.
Munshi Bazlul Based Anju, ward commissioner, Ward 7 (Mirpur), said those who missed the ID card collecting date are coming to his office every day.
"Right now there are three to four thousand ID cards kept in my office and people are coming to take those. This morning we gave away around 150 cards. I think all will be distributed within this week," said Anju.
"We are also knocking them by making phone calls and sending peons to inform them to come to the office," he said.
Asked, Sarwar Morshed, deputy secretary, EC, said, "We came to know about this problem. We will definitely take steps to let people know from where they should collect their ID cards."
"There are 4 district election officers in four areas of Dhaka. Anyone can call the officer of his respective area to get information," he added.
On the other hand, there are also cases where people are not collecting their ID cards in time from the ward commissioner's office.
“We had 43,000 cards of which 40,000 has been distributed. There are 3,000 cards left at the office. We are going to people's house and announcing in the area using megaphones to come and collect those but they are saying they cannot come because they have to go to office,” said Md Abdus Salam, a volunteer at the Ward Commissioner's office of Ward 50 to help in the work of voter list and distribute the cards and senior vice president, Dhanmondi Progoti Shangho.
Asked, another official at the Information Centre of the EC said that election related information was published in 10 newspapers with phone number of the centre (9116971) for any kind of queries.
"Our target is to enlist 8 crore people by June 16," he said.
According to the Information Centre, 95 percent work of the voter ID card distribution has been done. Till June 7, 76,213,680 voters have been registered or primary forms have been filled in; 26,38,54 ID cards are ready and 40,137,699 have been distributed.