In a major drive, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) conducted simultaneous raids at 13 district election offices across the country on Tuesday, responding to widespread allegations of corruption in national identity card (NID) services.
The enforcement action followed numerous complaints about bribery, harassment of citizens, and involvement of middlemen in NID issuance and correction processes.
The graft body’s Enforcement Unit discovered preliminary evidence supporting allegations of systemic irregularities during their inspections. It initiated the drives after receiving consistent reports about election office staff demanding illegal payments and creating unnecessary obstacles for citizens seeking NID services.
Based on the findings, necessary legal and administrative actions will be taken, stated the ACC.
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, some staff were found taking cash without receipts during verification processes although the official NID verification fee of Tk 230, which is actually supposed to be paid online.
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 under disguise, observed service delivery firsthand, and collected feedback from service seekers.
In Dinajpur, the commission 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’s headquarters.