Distribution of smart NIDs starts

Distribution of smart national identity (NID) cards began today in Dhaka and Kurigram.
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad is scheduled to inaugurate a distribution programme at a village under Phubari upazila in Kurigram this morning.
Meanwhile, smart NID cards distribution started at two centres -- Siddheswari Girls' College and Uttara High School and College – under two city corporations in Dhaka this morning, Asaduzzaman Arzu, director (public relations) of the Election Commission (EC) Secretariat told The Daily Star.
For being machine readable, the smart cards have additional safety measures against forgery.
Later, the cards would be distributed at upazila, municipality, union and ward levels in phases.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday inaugurated the distribution of smart NIDs.
She asked the Election Commission to ensure the security of the data being used for preparing NIDs, saying there should be a firewall in such a digital project to check forgery.
The EC launched distribution of the much-awaited machine-readable smart NID cards among 10 crore citizens, replacing the existing paper-laminated cards.