DHAKA, April 29 (V7N) — The Election Commission (EC) has issued a new directive making it mandatory for citizens to attach their Secondary School Certificate (SSC) or equivalent certificates to the database during voter registration. The move is aimed at curbing inaccuracies in personal data and streamlining the National Identity (NID) correction process.

The office order, signed today by Md Saiful Islam, Director (Operations) of the EC’s National Identity Registration Wing, has been dispatched to all upazila and thana election registration officers across Bangladesh.

The EC noted that SSC certificates are the primary tool for verifying dates of birth. Currently, many applicants with secondary or higher educational qualifications are failing to attach these documents to the database. This omission has led to significant hurdles during later NID correction requests, making it difficult for officials to make informed decisions.

The order also highlighted a growing trend where some applicants deny their educational qualifications during the correction process—despite having provided proof earlier—leading to "unexpected situations" and disputes between the public and EC officials.

To ensure a robust and verifiable database, the following protocols must now be followed:

Mandatory Attachment: If a citizen has passed the secondary level or higher, their SSC (or equivalent) certificate must be uploaded to the electronic database.

Higher Qualifications: For individuals with HSC, undergraduate, postgraduate, MPhil, or PhD degrees, the SSC certificate remains the mandatory baseline document for age and name verification.

Hard Copy Preservation: Local election offices are required to preserve hard copies of the SSC certificate, highest educational degree, birth certificate, and the original registration form.

Verification: Date of birth information in the NID database must match the data provided in the educational certificates.

The Election Commission has tasked District and Regional Election Officers with the oversight of this new policy. They are instructed to conduct regular inspections and random database checks to ensure local registration officers are complying with the mandate.

By enforcing these requirements at the point of registration, the EC aims to reduce the massive backlog of NID correction applications and protect the integrity of the national identity system.

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