High Court rejects plea for NID without photograph

The High Court has rejected a petition seeking permission to obtain a National Identity Card (NID) without a photograph, ruling that photographs will remain mandatory for issuing the identity document in the country.

A bench of Justice Md Iqbal Kabir and Justice SM Saiful Islam passed the order rejecting the plea on Wednesday (September 9).

Election Commission lawyer Kamal Hossain Miaji confirmed the ruling, saying the dismissal means there is no scope for obtaining an NID without a photograph under the existing system.

The writ was filed in 2022 by Sumaiya Ahmad Muna, a resident of Shantibagh in Dhaka’s Shahjahanpur area. She described herself as an adult Muslim woman who observes hijab in accordance with Islamic Shariah and said she avoided having her photograph taken for religious reasons.

Muna argued that the absence of an NID had prevented her from accessing various government services and benefits. Before filing the writ, she had asked the Election Commission in February 2022 to provide an alternative identification method based on biometric information without requiring a photograph.

After her application received no response, she moved the High Court. The court issued a rule in March 2022 asking why the authorities should not be directed to arrange NID issuance using biometric features without a photograph.

The state opposed the petition, arguing that photographs are essential for identity verification in a range of important services, including banking. Authorities also warned that removing photographs could increase the risk of identity fraud and unauthorised withdrawals.

The government further raised questions over biometric identification requirements, including the use of iris data, in relation to the petitioner’s religious concerns.

After a lengthy hearing, the High Court dismissed the rule on Wednesday, leaving the photograph requirement for NID issuance unchanged.