The Bangladesh Election Commission (EC) has announced that citizens aged 16 or 17 can now apply for national identity cards (NID). According to a circular issued on Sunday by the National Identity Registration Wing of the EC Secretariat, eligible applicants will receive their NID, and their names will be automatically added to the voter list once they turn 18.

The circular stated that the decision was made under Section 5 of the National Identity Registration Act, 2010, as amended in 2013. It clarified that any Bangladeshi citizen who has reached or will reach the age of 16 or 17 on the date of application may now register for an NID.

The directive, signed by Khan Abi Shahanur Khan, Director (Registration and Expatriates) of the National Identity Registration Wing, instructed all regional, district, and upazila election officers to implement the order immediately.