The Election Commission (EC) has blocked the National Identity Card (NID) of Sultanuzzaman Md Saleh Uddin, the former Director General (DG) of the NID wing.

A reliable source confirmed the development to Banglanews on Tuesday (Apr 29). 

The action was taken following a directive from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

According to reports, ACC Deputy Director Md Saiduzzaman submitted a request to block the NID and impose a travel ban on Saleh Uddin, also the former Managing Director of Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory (BMTF), along with another individual. After a hearing, the ACC approved the request in the interest of proper investigation and public interest.

Following the ACC's directive, the EC gave approval, and its IT department later blocked the NIDs of Saleh Uddin and his wife.

Before taking over BMTF, Saleh Uddin served as DG of the NID wing, where he was involved in a contract with French tech firm Oberthur for smart cards. The EC is still facing delays due to the company’s failure to deliver the cards on time.

Earlier, the EC also blocked the NIDs of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and ten of her family members. Blocking an NID disrupts access to various essential citizen services.

MSK/