Enclave dwellers to get NID cards by Sept

Former enclave dwellers who have become citizens of Bangladesh are going to at last get their National Identity (NID) cards by September.    With these cards, they will be able to enjoy all the facilities that were absent for over 68 years.
The Election Commission (EC) said it is giving “special importance” to bring 37,535 inhabitants of 111 former enclaves of four districts—Panchagarh, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat and Kurigram—under enrolment in the voters’ list.
The EC has organised elaborate programmes to include eligible voters in the voter list in a bid to issue NID cards to the former enclave dwellers. The commission said it would start preliminary work on June 15 this year by creating new voter areas. The enumerators would start collecting information after going from door to door from July 10 to 16.
After this information is obtained, photos and biometric information would be gathered from July 17 to 25.  The draft voter list would be published on August 1. People can file objections against the draft voter list on August 16. The hearing on the draft voter list will be held on August 25. The final voter list would be published on September 4 after its correction on August 28.
As the enclave dwellers do not have identity cards right now, they are denied fundamental facilities, including voting rights, education, jobs, healthcare, bank accounts, land registration, driving licences and passports.
Those living in the enclave said they are now moving freely after getting citizenship of Bangladesh following the exchange of 162 enclaves between Bangladesh and India on August 1 last year. However, they are still not getting all facilities from different government and non-government offices and institutions in the absence of NID cards.
Azizul Islam, former general secretary of the India-Bangladesh Enclave Exchange Coordination Committee of Gochhamari Enclave in Lalmonirhat district, told The Independent that they desperately feel the necessity of NID cards as they are being deprived of different basic services. "There is no security in life without NID cards. We can’t do anything without it. The card is necessary for jobs, land transactions, passports, or going for pilgrimages,” he said.  Golam Mostafa, former general secretary of India-Bangladesh Enclave Coordination Committee at Dashiarchhara Enclave in Kurigram, said, “We don’t have any identity cards now. As a result, we are being deprived of different facilities. We feel its importance in voicing our opinions by casting votes.”
Commission sources said they have made special arrangements for the enrolment of the enclave dwellers in the voter list and to provide NID cards by September. “We're paying special attention to the matter and also making them voters separately. We would complete the process by September,” election commissioner Brig. Gen. (retd) Md. Zabed Ali told The Independent yesterday.
Election secretary Md Sirajul Islam said: “Delimitation has already been completed, and we would collect information of all eligible voters and those who would be eligible after one or two years to be voters.”
EC director general (National Identity Registration wing) Brig. Gen. Sultanuzzaman Md Saleh Uddin told The Independent yesterday that former enclave dwellers are being deprived of various facilities in the absence of NID cards, but they would enjoy these after getting the cards.
Panchagarh district deputy commissioner Amol Krishna Mondol told The Independent that they have received a letter in this connection from the EC on Monday. “The commission would mainly undertake the task of enrolment. We'd assist them if they face any trouble in respect of law and order,” he added.
Feeling the necessity of the development of the enclave dwellers, the government last year had allocated Tk. 200 crore for the development of the former enclave dwellers.

Enclave dwellers to get NID cards by Sept

Former enclave dwellers who have become citizens of Bangladesh are going to at last get their National Identity (NID) cards by September. With these cards, they will be able to enjoy all the facilities that were absent for over 68 years. The Election Commission (EC) said it is giving special importance to bring 37,535 inhabitants of 111 former enclaves of four districtsPanchagarh, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat and Kurigramunder enrolment in the voters list. The EC has organised elaborate programmes to include eligible voters in the voter list in a bid to issue NID cards to the former enclave dwellers. The commission said it would start preliminary work on June 15 this year by creating new voter areas. The enumerators would start collecting information after going from door to door from July 10 to 16. After this information is obtained, photos and biometric information would be gathered from July 17 to 25. The draft voter list would be published on August 1. People can file objections against the draft voter list on August 16. The hearing on the draft voter list will be held on August 25. The final voter list would be published on September 4 after its correction on August 28. As the enclave dwellers do not have identity cards right now, they are denied fundamental facilities, including voting rights, education, jobs, healthcare, bank accounts, land registration, driving licences and passports. Those living in the enclave said they are now moving freely after getting citizenship of Bangladesh following the exchange of 162 enclaves between Bangladesh and India on August 1 last year. However, they are still not getting all facilities from different government and non-government offices and institutions in the absence of NID cards. Azizul Islam, former general secretary of the India-Bangladesh Enclave Exchange Coordination Committee of Gochhamari Enclave in Lalmonirhat district, told The Independent that they desperately feel the necessity of NID cards as they are being deprived of different basic services. There is no security in life without NID cards. We cant do anything without it. The card is necessary for jobs, land transactions, passports, or going for pilgrimages, he said. Golam Mostafa, former general secretary of India-Bangladesh Enclave Coordination Committee at Dashiarchhara Enclave in Kurigram, said, We dont have any identity cards now. As a result, we are being deprived of different facilities. We feel its importance in voicing our opinions by casting votes. Commission sources said they have made special arrangements for the enrolment of the enclave dwellers in the voter list and to provide NID cards by September. Were paying special attention to the matter and also making them voters separately. We would complete the process by September, election commissioner Brig. Gen. (retd) Md. Zabed Ali told The Independent yesterday. Election secretary Md Sirajul Islam said: Delimitation has already been completed, and we would collect information of all eligible voters and those who would be eligible after one or two years to be voters. EC director general (National Identity Registration wing) Brig. Gen. Sultanuzzaman Md Saleh Uddin told The Independent yesterday that former enclave dwellers are being deprived of various facilities in the absence of NID cards, but they would enjoy these after getting the cards. Panchagarh district deputy commissioner Amol Krishna Mondol told The Independent that they have received a letter in this connection from the EC on Monday. The commission would mainly undertake the task of enrolment. Wed assist them if they face any trouble in respect of law and order, he added. Feeling the necessity of the development of the enclave dwellers, the government last year had allocated Tk. 200 crore for the development of the former enclave dwellers.