The Rohingya are obtaining citizenship in exchange for money

In a disturbing revelation from Netrokona, a systematic scheme has been uncovered whereby Rohingyas are reportedly obtaining Bangladeshi National Identity Cards (NIDs) in exchange for money. Investigations by a news page indicate that a coordinated network within the Netrokona Sadar Upazila Election Office has been illegally including Rohingyas in the voter list, effectively granting them Bangladeshi citizenship—a development that poses a significant threat to national security and governance.

According to the investigation, an NID was issued in the name of “Jannat Begum” with the number 3331089585. The card lists her father as Md. Abdul Hasim, her mother as Mosa Anju, and her permanent address as Pukuria village in Netrokona Sadar Upazila. Verification of these details, however, revealed serious inconsistencies.

Abdul Hasim and Anju, both residents of Birampur village, Mohanganj Upazila, are indeed a married couple. Hasim passed away nearly ten years ago. They have four sons and one daughter, Sigdha Akhtar Hasi. There is no daughter named Jannat Begum in the family. Motahar Hossain, a family member, confirmed: “We do not have a sister named Jannat Begum. Our only daughter, Sigdha Akhtar Hasi, married eight years ago in Dharmapasha Sadar and is a registered voter there.”

Local representatives corroborated the same information. Ali Noor, a Union Parishad member, stated, “There is no Jannat Begum in Abdul Hasim and Anju’s family. Any use of their identity to register a voter is clearly fraudulent.”

Further discrepancies were found in the voter data entry proofs. A mobile number used in the records, when called, was inactive, but a WhatsApp conversation revealed the number belongs to Arfan Shakil, a resident of Akua, Mymensingh, currently studying in China. He confirmed he has no acquaintance by the name Jannat Begum.

Even more alarming, a check of birth registration records in Netrokona Municipality revealed that no such birth certificate exists in the official database. Investigation confirmed that a separate birth certificate had been digitally edited to create this fraudulent record.

An analysis of Form-2 used for voter registration also exposed further irregularities: the NID numbers of the identifier, supervisor, and verifier listed in the form could not be found in the official server.

Multiple election office employees, speaking anonymously, claimed that Jannat Begum is a Rohingya and that she was made a voter in exchange for BDT 150,000. According to these sources, around 50–60 NIDs were issued under similar arrangements, with signatures from Sadar Upazila Election Officer Md. Sihab Uddin dated 21 March 2025 appearing on the forms.

When questioned, Sihab Uddin denied any financial transaction, claiming the NIDs were issued during routine voter updates and that verifying each individually was impossible. Meanwhile, District Election Officer Mohammad Tofael Hossain and Deputy Commissioner Saifur Rahman stated that a full investigation will be conducted, and if the allegations are proven, strict legal action will follow.

This is not an isolated incident. Previously, 13 Rohingyas were registered using fraudulent birth records in Mohanganj Upazila, and in Kolmakanda, Kamrul Hasan, a Rohingya, obtained an NID (1982479733) and a Bangladeshi passport through monetary transactions.

Table 1: Key Details of the Fraudulent NID Case

The revelations have raised urgent concerns about systemic vulnerabilities in voter registration and citizenship verification, highlighting the need for immediate reforms and stringent monitoring.