NID birth date correction applications can now be processed at field level: EC

The Election Commission has allowed applications to correct the date of birth on National Identity Cards (NIDs) to be processed at the field level if applicants submit an education certificate that can be verified online.

The EC's NID Wing issued the directive in a circular today (13 August).

Under the new instruction, upazila or thana election officers, senior district or district election officers, and assistant directors, deputy directors or directors of the NID Wing will be authorised to dispose of such applications under category "A".

However, officials must follow the existing Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) when accepting education certificates and other supporting documents required for the correction.

The circular also made it mandatory for officials to record notes in the Case Management System (CMS) when electronically approving or rejecting an application.

Regional and additional regional election officers will monitor the applications processed by officials under their supervision. They will also randomly verify at least three applications processed by each designated officer every month to ensure they were handled properly.

The officials will have to prepare reports in the prescribed format and send them to the internal account of the EC's director of operations.

Applications seeking correction of a date of birth based on an Open University certificate will have to be processed at the director general level.

Applications seeking a complete change to the applicant's own name, their parents' names and date of birth will also have to be disposed of at the director general level.

The EC further said a second correction in the same field will not be allowed for the date of birth, the applicant's own name or their parents' names if a complete change has already been made.

The commission instructed relevant officials to take necessary action in accordance with the new guidelines.