Dhaka [Bangladesh], Oct. 2 : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday launched the distribution of machine-readable smart national identity (NID) cards among 10 crore citizens, which will replace the currently used laminated ones.
At a programme held at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka, the Prime Minister opened the process by giving her biometric details, impression of 10 fingers and a picture of her iris, reports The Daily Star.
After the inaugural programme, the smart NID cards will first be provided to the President, the Prime Minister and members of the national cricket team.
The distribution of NID cards will commence in two city corporations in Dhaka from Monday and in a remote area in Kurigram the following day.
According to the Election Commission, there are about 10 crore voters in the country. Twenty-five international certifications and standards have been ensured to maintain the security of the smart cards.
Smart cards will have a microchip containing all the information of a citizen. The NID cardholders will get 22 types of services, including banking, TIN, driving license and passport.
The smart NID cards would be given free of cost but after losing it twice the cardholder will be charged a fixed amount of money if he or she goes to collect a new one.
People will have to go to the smart card distribution centres to get their smart NID cards in exchange for their old cards.
Biometric details, impression of 10 fingers and picture of the iris will be collected by the EC officials before handing them their smart new cards.
Source: ANI
