EC defends data collection of underage youths

FE Team | Published: August 09, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

In the wake of criticisms by different quarters, especially BNP, for collecting the data of underage voters in advance, the Election Commission has come up with some justifications for its decision saying that it will save public money, reports UNB.
Besides, the commission says, it has a plan to provide national identity (NID) cards to the underage voters if a fresh project can finally be taken.
Justifying the commission's move to gather the data of all those born before or on January 1, 2000 during its ongoing voter list updating programme, EC Secretary Md Sirazul Islam said, "If we collect the data of three years at a time, it'll save nearly Tk 500 million. And the academic activities in schools won't get hampered every year as we've to appoint school teachers as enumerators."
"It requires Tk 430 million to collect the data of one year, but the commission needs Tk 830 million to gather the data of three years. So, nearly Tk 500 million will be saved if the data of three years are collected at a time," he said.
Besides, the commission has a plan to provide the NID cards to the youth aged less than 18, if a fresh project can be undertaken. "We've already requested the World Bank to initiate a fresh project titled 'IDEA-II'. The project is now examined by the global lender," he told the news agency on Friday.
The EC's move will also facilitate to follow the legal obligation for updating the country's voter list every year, he said adding that the court halted Dhaka City Corporation election even after the schedule announcement in 2012 as the voter list was not updated in 2010 and 2011.
Though the data of underage possible voters is being collected, there is no scope for them to enter the voter list until they exceed 18 years as the software of the EC server would prevent it, the EC Secretary assured.
As part of the electoral roll updating process, the Election Commission on July 25 started three-phase data collection of the possible voters.
Enumerators will collect the data of Bangladeshi citizens born on or before January 1, 2000 throughout the country till September 22 this year.
Of them, only those who were born on or before January 1, 1998 will be registered as voters in 2016, while the remaining nationals in 2017 and 2018.
Criticising the EC's move, BNP on July 27 urged the commission to immediately stop 'unlawful' registration of the under-18 youths saying that as per the country's existing law and the EC's rules, there's no scope for registering any citizen aged less than 18 in the voter list.
Terming the incumbent commission incompetent and worthless, BNP spokesman Asaduzzaman Ripon said the 'naughtiest' Election Commission has taken a whimsical move to register 15-17 age group youths ahead of the countrywide elections to municipalities and union parishads.
Amid the criticism, the EC on July 29 urged all not to spread confusion over the data collection of under-18 citizens saying that there is no scope for the under-age people to get enrolled as voters.
The EC will publish the final updated voter list in January, 2016 after disposing of complaints regarding the update.
According to section 11 of the Voter List Act 2009, the Election Commission shall update the countrywide electoral rolls during January 2-31 every year.