No Citizen Should Remain Invisible

Millions of Bangladeshis remain invisible in official records because their births or deaths are never registered. According to a recent report published in this newspaper, only around 50 per cent of births and 47 per cent of deaths are registered in the country. This means many citizens face difficulties accessing education, healthcare and other basic services, while the government also lacks reliable population data for planning.

We find this situation deeply concerning. No country can ensure good governance when a large part of its population stays outside the official record.

The government has set a target of achieving 100 per cent registration by 2030. However, that goal will be hard to achieve while families bear most of the responsibility for completing the process. Parents may have to travel long distances, spend money and navigate complicated procedures to obtain certificates. These obstacles are especially burdensome for people in rural areas, chars, hilly regions and urban slums. The authorities must therefore make registration simpler and more accessible.

The consequences of incomplete registration extend well beyond administrative inconvenience. Children without birth certificates may face difficulties enrolling in school or receiving healthcare, while the lack of legal records can increase their vulnerability to child labour, early marriage and human trafficking. Unregistered deaths can create complications over inheritance and property. At the national level, unreliable population data also hampers planning for schools, hospitals, health services and social protection. Thus, a registration gap can ultimately become a wider governance gap.

Against this backdrop, reform of the Birth and Death Registration Act, 2004, needs urgent attention. One practical step would be to give healthcare facilities direct responsibility for registering births. Around 67 per cent of children are born at healthcare facilities. If these institutions register newborns and connect their records to a central digital system, millions of children could enter the official record without requiring a separate process from their parents. This could also reduce false, duplicate and inaccurate entries. Meanwhile, death registration services need greater attention in underserved areas.

Legal reform alone, however, will not solve the problem. The government must improve digital infrastructure, strengthen coordination among relevant agencies and ensure that citizens receive registration services without unnecessary delays or harassment. More importantly, the 2030 target needs clear responsibilities and regular monitoring. Accurate registration is not merely a bureaucratic requirement; it provides the foundation for effective planning, fair resource allocation and protection of citizens’ rights.

We therefore expect the authorities to build a registration system that works for everyone. No citizen should remain invisible from birth to death.