Monday marks the observance of National Birth and Death Registration Day. A day that symbolises the state’s formal recognition of every citizen’s existence. While Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in birth registration, death registration remains strikingly low, exposing a critical gap in the country’s civil documentation system.
Birth and death registration form the foundation for ensuring fundamental rights such as voting, education, healthcare, and social protection. Yet, despite two decades of government efforts, the record of death registration continues to lag far behind.
According to data from the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Improvement in Bangladesh (CRVSID-Bangladesh) project under the United Nations Statistics Division, as of 2023, birth registration coverage has reached around 83%, while death registration remains alarmingly low. A recent study published in PubMed Central further reveals that only 14.5% of deaths in Bangladesh are registered, and registration within the legally mandated 45 days is less than 1%.
This gap is not due to the absence of legal or institutional frameworks. Between 2001 and 2006, UNICEF and the Local Government Division jointly reintroduced registration activities as a pilot project in 28 districts and four city corporations. Following that, the Birth and Death Registration Act, 2004 was enacted, later amended in 2013 to make registration compulsory within 45 days of a birth or death. Yet, the initiative has not achieved the desired level of success.
Experts believe the root of the problem lies in social attitudes rather than administrative barriers.
Nilima Yasmin, former Project Manager of Open Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (OpenCRVS) at Plan International Bangladesh, stated, “Except for reasons such as inheriting property or withdrawing money from the bank, people rarely think about registering deaths. However, without proper death registration and cause-of-death information, it is almost impossible for a country to determine its total population or conduct meaningful health research.”
She further warned that unregistered deaths can lead to identity misuse. Such as, casting fraudulent votes or illegally collecting government allowances.
Echoing this view, Professor Abu Hasanat Md Kishowar Hossain from the Department of Population Science, University of Dhaka, said the issue is deeply psychological.
“Through birth registration, people gain recognition, access to governance, and state protection, which makes it feel essential. But in the case of death registration, the mindset is entirely different,” he explained.
“After death, the individual has no responsibilities, and families usually collect a certificate only for inheritance purposes. In rural areas, inheritance is often settled verbally, so formal death registration is seen as unnecessary.”
Professor Hasanat emphasized the importance of embedding civic awareness into the education system. He suggested that lessons on the significance of birth and death registration be introduced at the primary and secondary levels, ensuring that future generations understand the role of documentation in citizenship and governance.
He also noted that data derived from death registration, such as causes of death, mortality rates by age, and regional disease patterns are invaluable for public policy. Such information enables the government to design effective healthcare strategies, safety initiatives, and social development plans.
Ultimately, experts agree that death registration is far more than a bureaucratic formality. It is an essential tool for accurate population data, good governance, and equitable development.
