Birth registration this year increases to 21%: Ministry

Highlights:

• 1,65,218 births were registered from July – September 2021 (21% of entire births during the time)
• Around 7,53,435 people were born from July – September 2021
• 75,356 births were registered from April – June 2021 (9% of entire births during the time)
• Birth registration increased from 9% to 21%

The birth registration in the country increased to 21% in the third quarter this year from 9% in the second quarter, according to an estimate by the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives.

The information was disclosed on Wednesday during a meeting organised on the occasion of National Birth and Death Registration Day 2021.

In July-September this year, 1,65,218 births were registered through the Birth and Death Registration Information System (BDRIS), Mustakim Billah Faruqui, additional secretary (Urban Development Wing) at Local Government Division, told The Business Standard.

The number was more than 21% of the total number of births - around 7,53,435 estimated by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics during the time.

In April-June this year, 75,356 births were registered through the software, which was around 9% of the total number of births during that time. The numbers were less than that last year, Faruqui added.

Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Md Tajul Islam, who was present during Wednesday's event as the chief guest, said no matter how trivial the issue of birth and death registration may seem, it has a much greater impact and its importance is immeasurable.

"The office of the Registrar General, Birth and Death Registration is working to enhance birth registration rate to 100% and death registration rate to 50% by 2024," the minister added.

Underlining the importance of making the registration process easier, Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, who was present at the event as a special guest, said, "Even though birth registration can be done from the city corporation, one needs to go to the deputy commissioner's office in case of any corrections and that is where citizens are misdirected by middlemen."

Taposh said a drastic change must be brought to the existing system.

Mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation Md Atiqul Islam said through widespread awareness, the citizens must be made aware of the proper channels they can go through for any concerns regarding their birth or death registration to eliminate the involvement of the middlemen.

He said one can apply for birth and death registration through the "Shobar Dhaka" app. One tree sapling would be provided to everyone registering birth from Dhaka North City Corporation, the mayor added.

During the event, Rajshahi was declared the best division and the best city corporation in terms of birth and death registration this year with a 50% rate of registration in both categories. 

Natore and Joypurhat were termed as the best districts, Chattogram's Anowara was termed as the best Upazila, Gaibandha's Shundorganj was termed as the best municipality, and Natore's Gurudaspur was termed as the best union in terms of birth and death registrations numbers.

Helaluddin Ahmed, senior secretary, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, presided over the programme.

Lokman Hossain Mia, senior secretary, Health Services Department and Veera Mendonca, deputy representative, United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), Bangladesh, spoke at the event, among others.