Dhaka: As the Election Commission starts the process of collecting data of some 4.8 million young citizens aged 16-17 this year, there is no plan as yet to provide them with national identity (NID) cards before they turn 18.

The EC had earlier planned to provide NID cards to the youths born on or before 1 January, 2000 alongside the voters in 2016.

The commission also announced to register the youths aged 16-17 during the three-phased data collection period for updating the country’s voter list from 25 July to 22 September.

EC Secretary Mohammad Sirazul Islam on 2 July briefed reporters about the schedules of data collection, saying that they estimate some 2.4 million fresh voters would be registered, to add to the country’s existing 96.2 million voters, while 4.8 million young citizens aged less than 18 would also be registered this time.

But it is not possible for the commission to provide those under 18 with NID cards at present, unless as part of some new project.

Officials at the EC said it has yet to handover NID cards to all the voters registered in 2014. It’ll take time to provide the nationals aged less than 18 with NID as a fresh project is needed for this, said EC Secretary Md Sirazul Islam.

‘We’ve a plan to initiate a fresh project with finance of the World Bank. We’ve already submitted the project proposal. If the project is finally undertaken, we’ll provide them with NID cards,’ he said.

The possibility is very slim that the young nationals whose data is collected will get NID cards soon, they will be registered as voters soon after they cross 18, the EC secretary added.

Some 50,000 enumerators will collect data in 189 upazilas/thanas from 25 July to 9 August in the first phase, another 184 upazilas/thanas from 16 to 30 August in the second phase and 141 upazilas/thana from September 7 to 22 in the third phase.

Eligible citizens will also have scope to provide their respective data through online registration this year.

Photographs and fingerprints of the young citizens will be taken in three phases through some 54,000 registration centres across the country from 22 October to 10 February next.

The commission will publish the final updated voter list on 31 January.

If any national born on or before 1 January, 2000 wants to be registered, s/he needs to have birth certificate, land deed (if any), education certificate (if any), receipt of house rent or copies of utility bills, passport (if any), NID Number of father or mother or spouse, EC officials said.

Though the National Identity Registration (Amendment) Act 2013 empowered the Election Commission to provide NID to all the citizens maintaining specific procedure and criteria, it now provides NID to only voters (citizens aged above 18 years).