Officials and employees of the Election Commission (EC) will go on a three-hour work abstention daily from March 19, demanding cancellation of the move to transfer NID operation to a separate registration entity, reports UNB.
Convener of Bangladesh Election Commission Officers Association Mohammad Monir Hossain announced the programme from a human chain in front of Nirbachon Bhaban in the capital on Thursday, calling for the NID operations to remain under the EC's authority.
The EC staff will observe the work abstention (titled 'operation halt') from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm (everyday) from Wednesday at the EC secretariat and its other offices throughout the country.
The EC staff formed human chains under the banner 'Stand for NID' at the EC Secretariat and its regional offices across the country to meet their demand.
"The Election Commission is the custodian of all the personal information of the voters. So, the NID should remain under the authority of the Election Commission…. We are giving time until next Tuesday to take visible step in this regard," he said.
Monir Hossain, a deputy secretary at the EC Secretariat, said, "If this move is not canceled, we will go on work abstention."
On March 05, the EC staff submitted a memorandum to the Chief Election Commissioner, demanding visible steps from the EC and the government to cancel this initiative.
Later, the EC sent a letter to the government on March 9, arguing to keep the NID services under its authority,
The current government has initiated the fresh move to bring a number of civic services, including birth registration and national identity registration services, under a single entity named the 'Civil Registration Commission', causing frustrations among the EC's officials and employees.
