The use of
the multi-purpose national identity card has become indispensable for
countrymen. Thus, they must not face suffering
or delays in any matter of updating or correcting these cards
People facing hassles over national identity cards
Media reports say that people coming to the National Identity Card Project office in the capital Dhaka from different areas across the country are being subjected to numerous hassles as they are not getting timely and proper assistance from the officials concerned despite paying repeated visits to the office. Despite assurances proper decentralisation of services in this area remains absent or agonisingly slow.
Though the NID wing claims to have decentralised its services at the local level, people alleged that they are not getting proper service at the local level. For any NID-related services, they are told that it would take months to address their problems. We are at a loss to understand the reason as to why it should take so much time for such a simple procedure in these days when computers and the internet facilities are omnipresent. It should not be too difficult to transfer the entire data in all server stations across the country. An elaborate database should be in place to expedite the process of correction and deliver quick service to the people.
Although there exists an information centre at the project office, it is common scenario that most of the time during office hours, it remains empty and there is none to look into the issue of peoples sufferings. On the one hand, complainants usually find no official at the information centre they can get assistance from. On the other, there are allegations that visitors often face misbehaviour by the officials posted in other sections of the office. Worse, these problems are rarely addressed even if the victims lodge complaints. This indeed is a very annoying situation that can be avoided if the local election offices in the districts around the country were armed with arrangements necessary to solve these problems.
Interestingly, many officials working at the project office admit there is almost no one there to look into complaints about the poor services. It is said that most of the employees here are novices and complaints about professional misconduct are barely dealt with. It is an open secret that some brokers are trying to cash in on the sufferings of the people who expect first-rate service but are frustrated once they reach the office. There are allegations that a section of corrupt officials at the office are backing the group of brokers behind the scenes and victims of the poor service are thus being compelled to approach the middlemen to save time in order to get their needs fulfilled in time.
