The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday launched drives at 13 district election offices across the country following widespread allegations of bribery, harassment, and irregularities in the issuance, correction, and collection of National Identity Cards (NID).
The enforcement operations, conducted by the ACC's Enforcement Unit, were prompted by reports of service recipients being subjected to unethical demands, harassment by officials, and interference by middlemen at various election offices.
During the drives, the ACC teams found initial evidence supporting allegations of irregularities and corruption.
In Rangpur, the ACC team went to investigate allegations of bribery and non-cooperation by election office staff.
Service seekers alleged they were harassed while submitting attested NID copies for passport applications.
The ACC advised the office to take corrective measures.
In Rajshahi, although the official NID verification fee of Tk 230 is supposed to be paid online, some staff were found taking cash without receipts during verification processes.
In Kurigram, the ACC found that applications submitted as far back as 2022 were arbitrarily rejected in 2025.
Several victims, including women, alleged years of delay and non-receipt of services.
In Mymensingh, the ACC recorded statements from service recipients and staff regarding allegations of corruption and harassment.
In Pabna, evidence of unusual delays in online application approvals was confirmed. Measures were advised to streamline the process.
In Naogaon, the team visited the office in disguise, observed service delivery firsthand, and collected feedback from service seekers.
In Dinajpur, the ACC reviewed applications for NID corrections in various categories (‘Ka’, ‘Kha’, ‘Ga’) and resolved multiple issues on the spot in consultation with service recipients.
In Barishal, citizens complained of frequent server issues during fingerprint submission. The ACC recommended urgent technical intervention by relevant authorities.
Similar enforcement drives were conducted in Bogura, Jamalpur, Patuakhali, Thakurgaon, and Pirojpur where immediate steps were taken to address the grievances of service seekers.
Each district enforcement team will submit a comprehensive report to the Commission.
Based on the findings, necessary legal and administrative actions will be taken, the ACC said.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
