Dhaka, Feb. 22 -- The Election Commission (EC) has decided to issue national identity (NID) cards to Bangladeshi citizens aged 16 and above.

A notification issued by the EC's NID wing on Sunday directed field-level officials to begin registration for those who have reached 16 or 17 years of age.

Under the new directive, these younger citizens will be issued NID cards immediately and will be automatically enrolled as voters once they turn 18.

It cited Section 5 of the National Identity Registration Act, 2010, as the legal basis for the decision.

EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed previously noted that providing NIDs to this age group is a practical necessity.

"Many citizens encounter challenges with essential services before they reach voting ...