Birth certificate nightmare: Dhaka residents suffer
A year ago, Syed Khorshed Alam, a resident of Bibir Bagicha in Jatrabari, obtained his son's birth certificate from Dhaka South City Corporation's (DSCC) Region-5 office, only for the school. But the school later rejected it calling it "fake."
Similarly, Mozammel Haque, who registered his son's birth in DSCC's Zone-1, faced trouble when applying for a passport. The Directorate of Immigration and Passport informed him that South City's birth certificates were not available on the national server.
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has issued 87,000 "fake" birth registration certificates that do not match the national database maintained by the Registrar General's Office under the Ministry of Local Government. These discrepancies have left citizens unable to access various civil services, as their certificates are deemed invalid.
Meanwhile, the birth registration service in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has been halted. A directive issued a year ago tasked ward councilors with managing birth certificate distribution. However, after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, the interim government has redirected the responsibility to DNCC’s regional offices. As a result, the process is currently suspended, further adding to public inconvenience.
Despite these widespread issues, the Registrar General's Office is celebrating National Birth and Death Registration Day on Sunday, October 6. The theme for this year is “Birth and Death Registration: Ensuring Good Governance in the Country,” though many citizens are still grappling with the dysfunctional system.
DSCC Activities
DSCC halted birth registration during June and July of 2023, insisting that birth registration fees should be deposited into its own fund, a proposal the Registrar General's Office rejected.
Despite this, DSCC resumed the registration process on October 4 using its own system, which bypassed the national server. The former Registrar General, Rashedul Hassan, flagged this as illegal.
The current Registrar General, Zahid Hossain, has also called DSCC’s independent server usage illegal in letters sent between March and June.
Under the leadership of former Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapas, who left the country on August 3 during the anti-discrimination student movement, 78,956 birth registrations and 1,471 death registrations were issued using this unauthorised system.
On August 14, the interim government ordered the transfer of this data back to the national server. A joint technical team from DSCC and the Registrar General's Office is now working to integrate the information.
When asked whether citizens who registered births and deaths with DSCC over the past year would need to re-register, Public Relations Officer Md Abu Naser assured that the certificates issued previously would not be canceled.
He said that the relevant data is being uploaded to the national server, and citizens will soon be able to access essential services such as school admissions and passport applications.
DNCC Activities
In 2023, DNCC initiated a decentralized birth registration system, allowing citizens to obtain certificates from ward councilors rather than visiting regional offices.
However, following the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the disappearance of Awami League councilors, including former DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam, the system was disrupted. As of September 26, birth registration services have been suspended.
On September 30, DNCC Secretary Mohammad Masud Alam Siddique issued a directive transferring the responsibility for civil services, including birth certificates, to DNCC's regional offices. However, services have yet to resume at these offices.
Morshed Alam, a resident of Karail, encountered difficulties when trying to register his daughter’s birth at DNCC Ward 19. He was told to go to a regional office, where his application was also not accepted.
Former DNCC Ward 31 Councilor Shafiqul Islam Sentu noted that the suspension of services will only increase the public's difficulties. Previously, citizens could easily collect certificates from councilor offices, but now they must travel to regional offices that serve multiple wards.
DNCC's health department confirmed that birth registration for all 54 wards will now be handled by just 10 regional offices, leading to potential delays and crowding.
DNCC Regional Executive Officer Ziaur Rahman stated that they are preparing to resume birth registration services, with a meeting on October 6 expected to clarify the timeline.
Importance of birth registration
A birth certificate serves as proof of a person’s birth, age, identity, and citizenship, making it essential for accessing government services such as school admissions, passports, and driving licenses. Birth registration is mandatory within 45 days of a child’s birth and can be done for free until the child turns 18. After that, a Tk 50 fee applies.
The Registrar General’s Office emphasised the importance of birth registration, noting that it is required for 22 essential services.
Zahid Hossain, the Registrar General, stated that by September this year, they had registered 5.8 million births and corrected another 270,000 records. The system has been streamlined, and citizens can now easily apply for certificates.
