To get access to EC database
Bangladesh Bank has taken initiatives to get for the scheduled banks access to the Election Commission’s database so that the banks can check national identity cards of clients when they (banks) will give priority to the NID numbers of clients in opening accounts for clients, Bangladesh Bank officials said. Currently the banks are opening accounts for clients in their (clients) names but they (banks) will have to use the NID numbers instead of the clients’ names when the banks get access to the EC’s database software, a BB official told New Age on Thursday.
He said the process under the BB’s initiative in this connection might be completed by this year.
He said clients would not be able to give false personal information in opening bank accounts once the central bank’s initiatives are completed.
The BB earlier unearthed that a number of clients had slightly changed their names and fathers’ names to mislead the banks so that they could get facility from the banks in an illegal manner, he said.
The credit information bureau of the BB usually falls in a difficult situation in searching the whole bank statement of the clients as some of them slightly change their profiles, he said.
A client is not allowed to get loan from a bank if he or she has any loan defaulted with another bank, he said.
To dodge the banks, clients change their names or fathers’ names slightly so that they will get fresh loan, he said.
He said the information falsification would be stopped if banks can get access to the EC’s database software.
Besides, the CIB wing of the BB will be able to trace easily all bank statements of a client when the banks will use the NID number instead of a client name.
The banks will be able to scrutinise easily the clients’ NID number from the EC as majority of their branches have already been automated.
The BB earlier signed an agreement with the EC to share its database software.
The BB will arrange a meeting with the EC in the quickest possible time so that the banks will be able to share its (EC) database.
Moreover, the central bank will ask banks to take preparation within the period.
Another BB official said that the central bank had taken the initiative in 2007 but the EC had denied signing the agreement at that time.
‘In 2007, the EC informed the central bank that it had not issued around 1 crore NID cards of
voters. Under the circumstance, the BB initiative fell in a lingering situation,’ he said.
The banks will initially use the NID numbers of clients who have already obtained national identity
cards, he said.
In second phase, the banks will use NID numbers of the clients whose age is below 18 years as the
EC is yet to issue the identity cards to them, he said.
The government will issue the NID cards to its all citizens in accordance with the act, he said.
After issuing the NID cards by the EC to all citizens, the banks will use the NID numbers to open the school account, he said.
-With New Age input
