Country's 5.87 crore people got birth certificates till March

DHAKA, Bangladesh, July 18 (BSS) - Bangladesh's 5.87 crore people got birth registration certificates till March this year and data of
another five crore were collected for registration under the
Birth and Death Registration Act-2004.

Project Director of Birth and Death registration programme
AKM Saiful Islam Chowdhury disclosed it while talking to BSS here
today. "Registrations of birth and death are essential for
overall planning of the country's population census," he said.

Officials of the Local Government division of the Ministry of
LGRD and Cooperatives said the government is very sincere to
create awareness about birth registration for all.

They said birth registration of the Under-18 people till
December this year would be done free of cost but those above 18
years would be registered on payment of a fee of Taka 50 each.

According to the officials, July 3 is observed as the `Birth
Registration Day' every year, aiming at making the essential
birth registration programme a popular campaign throughout the
country.

Describing this programme as the most significant step of the
government, Deputy Secretary of the Local Government Division Dr
Nazmanara Khanom said all should come forward to help implement
it in the greater national interest.

The Local Government division undertook the countrywide birth
and death registration programme in 2000 with financial
assistance from the UNICEF.