Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin has said they will strongly urge the government to keep the national identity (NID) services under the Election Commission's control.

“We will strongly voice our opinions in the law-making process. Wherever opinions are needed, we will give (opinions). Our entire commission wants this,” he said while talking to reporters following a sit-in programme of EC employees and officials in front of his office room at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the city on Thursday.

The EC staff were protesting a fresh move initiated by the current government to enact a law for bringing a number of civic services, including birth registration and national identity registration services, under a single entity named the ‘Civil Registration Commission’.

They also gave a seven-day ultimatum for any visible step over the issue, threatening to go for a fresh programme, including complete work abstention.

Nasir Uddin said he did not hear that the government had already finalised its decision to remove the NID operation from the EC rather there have been discussions. “We will inform the government in writing that it should stay under the EC. We will inform the government on an urgent basis," he said.

Earlier, a meeting of the inter-ministerial committee was held in the Cabinet Division on Monday to review the draft of the 'Civil Registration (Commission) Ordinance, 2025'.

A representative from the EC Secretariat was also present at the additional secretary-level meeting.

In 2023, the previous Awami League government enacted the National Identity Registration Act, 2023 to transfer the national identity registration operation from the EC to the Security Services Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

But the EC Secretariat has written to the interim government to repeal the law following the July mass uprising that toppled Sheikh Hasina’s regime.

Replying to a question, the CEC said he heard that the government perhaps was thinking of providing all kinds of services from one place but the NID services will remain under the jurisdiction of the EC, he said.

He said NID is a byproduct of voter registration operation and the EC officials have worked hard for 17 years, developing the NID network across the country. “The government will definitely take all the issues into consideration. There may be a gap in information. After receiving the written opinion of the commission, this gap will definitely not be there,” he said.

He said their position on this matter is clear and they are working on the basis of everyone's consent.

Convener of Bangladesh Election Commission Officers Association Mohammad Monir Hossain said there has been no problem with the NID operation under the EC’s authority for 17-18 years. "Today, we believe that no such environment has been created, the NID should be taken somewhere else from the EC.”

He said officials and employees across the country, including the EC Secretariat, will go for human chains from 11 am to 1 pm on 13 March if there is no step in this regard by 12 March. “If our demands are not met even then, we will go on a more stringent programme, including a work abstention," said Monir Hossain.