EC to use UN’s database to identify Rohingyas registered as voters

The Election Commission (EC) will use the server of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to identify Rohingyas who have been registered on the country's voter list.

The UN agency has agreed to let the EC use their server.

The agreement was reached during a meeting between the officials of EC's National Identity Card Registration Sub-Division and UNHCR officials today (19 march), EC officials said.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, ASM Humayun Kabir, director general of the NID Registration Sub-Division, said, "We will be able to identify those who have entered the server if we get this database.

"The first thing to do is to identify them, after which we will immediately lock their profiles. It is being talked about repetitively that Rohingyas, who are not our citizens, have infiltrated our system."

"The UN has informed us that there are more than a million Rohingyas in our country. It is yet to be decided who will maintain the server. The technical personnel of the UN are very competent, while we too have been able to preserve our data well," Humayun added.

While talking to the reporters, Humayun also said they have requested the UN to provide information about the Rohingyas quickly.

"They have agreed, but a lot of meetings are needed. We need some time to understand each other," Humayun further said.

Stating that UNHCR will provide the data in a way so that Rohingyas can be detected, NID DG said both the EC and the government want the information that UNHCR has.

"The government has reached an agreement with UNHCR, based on which the UN agency has agreed to share data. Today we have discussed how can we get the data," Humayun said.

"A decision had to be reached about who will get the data- the EC, the foreign ministry or any other agency of the government. Finally, it has been agreed that the EC will have these data. We need to sit more to decide when, where and how these data will be used," DG Humayun added.

"We have formed a technical team today, which will be coordinated by Mohammad Ashraf Hossain, system manager of the EC. The team will have representatives from the foreign ministry, who will have a meeting. We will be able to use the data when we get them," NID DG Humayun further said.

The NID DG told reporters, "The election is approaching, and Rohingyas are trying to get into our system. The sooner we get the data, the more benefits we will get. Our benefits will be multifaceted as preventing Rohingyas from getting into our systems will get easier."