Demanding the National Identity Card registration services remain under the Election Commission jurisdiction, its officials and employees yesterday demonstrated at the EC headquarters in the capital and election offices across the country.

They formed human chains and held sit-in programmes from 11:00am to 1:00pm, causing suspension of all types of services, including NID, during that time.

If no visible steps are taken in this regard by March 18, EC employees announced that they will observe a three-hour work abstention from 9:00am on March 19.

"We believe that NID services should remain under the EC," EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said while responding to a reporter's query at the EC.

He further explained, "We have been developing this system since 2007. We have technical expertise and are providing the required services.

"Since this is an established system, it is logical to expand the existing structure instead of creating a new one. This is what we have been reiterating."

Asked whether NID data is secure under the EC, he responded, "A total of 182 organisations access data from the EC, along with other agencies. They do so because the data is secure."

Regarding the continuation of NID services under the EC, its secretariat on March 9 in a letter said that this decision would curtail the constitutional authority of the EC.

The letter mentioned that according to article 119 of the constitution, the supervision, direction, and control of preparing the voter list for the election of president and parliament are vested in the EC. Besides, as per section 11 of the Voter List Act 2009, the EC is responsible for updating it.

"If the database of National Identity card, which includes the voter list, is transferred elsewhere, it would not only conflict with the constitution but also diminish the constitutional authority of the Election Commission."

Mohammad Monir Hossain, convener of Bangladesh Election Commission Officers' Association and EC deputy secretary, yesterday said, "The Election Commission is the guardian of all voters' personal information. The NID will remain with the Election Commission."

On March 4, the interim government proposed transferring NID services to a separate commission -- Civil Registration Commission.

From that day, EC officials and employees are holding different programmes to press home their demand for keeping the NID services under the EC.

On March 12, Fayez Ahmed Tayyab, chief adviser's special assistant for posts and ICT ministry, said that although NID services will remain under the EC for now, they will have to be placed under an independent agency in future.

Along with the EC Secretariat, there are 10 regional offices, 64 district offices, and over 500 upazila election offices across the country where more than 5,000 officials work, according to EC officials.