The project was designed for the preparation of the electoral roll with photographs for the Ninth Parliamentary Election held in December 2008.

However, starting in October 2016, they were replaced by biometric, microchip-embedded, smart identity cards in order to ensure security for the cardholder as well as prevent counterfeiting and fraudulence.

The leak was believed to have come from the National Identity Registration System (NIDS), a government database that contains the personal information of all Bangladeshi citizens.

The government started investigating the leak, and has promised to take steps to protect the privacy of Bangladeshi citizens on the same day of reporting.

[10] The following facilities and services are available to citizens with the Bangladeshi smart NID card: A candidate applying for a new voter must fulfill certain conditions.

[12] At the time of enrollment, they need the following supporting documents in addition to the application form attested by ward councillor or union council member: