EC locks NIDs of 10 members of Sheikh family, including Hasina

Senior Staff Reporter Published: 21 April 2025, 07:04 PM

EC locks NIDs of 10 members of Sheikh family, including Hasina

Sheikh Hasina along with her family members. – Collected Photo

The National Identity Registration Division of the Election Commission (EC) has "locked" the National Identity Cards (NIDs) of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, and eight other members of their family.

The move effectively prevents any verification, correction, or changes to their NID information.

According to sources, the NIDs were locked based on a ‘verbal order’ issued by the Director General (DG) of the National Identity Registration Division.

A copy of this verbal directive was later formally signed by the concerned branch officer on February 16. The information was disclosed by the NID Division on Monday.

Due to the lock, the personal information of the 10 individuals cannot be accessed, updated, or modified. The affected members of the Sheikh family include: Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed (Sheikh Hasina’s son), Saima Wazed (Sheikh Hasina’s daughter), Tulip Rizwana Siddiq (Sheikh Rehana’s daughter), Azmina Siddiq (Sheikh Rehana’s daughter), - Radwan Mujib Siddiq (Sheikh Rehana’s son), Tariq Ahmed Siddique (Sheikh Rehana’s brother-in-law), Shaheen Siddique (Tariq Ahmed Siddique’s wife), and

Bushra Siddique (Tariq Ahmed Siddique’s daughter).

This action means that these individuals are now unable to make any changes to their NID records, which could impact their ability to access government services or participate in activities requiring identity verification.

The development comes as the Election Commission launched voter registration and NID preparation activities for expatriate Bangladeshis in Canberra, the capital of Australia, on April 7. The initiative is being led by ASM Humayun Kabir, the Director General of the NID Division, who is currently on an official visit to Australia.

Attempts to contact the NID DG via WhatsApp for a statement regarding the locking of the NIDs went unanswered.

While the Election Commission has not provided an official explanation for the decision, such measures are typically taken when discrepancies or irregularities are suspected in the records. However, no formal charges or allegations have been publicly disclosed against the 10 individuals whose NIDs were locked.