Dhaka North City Corporation, or DNCC, has moved to register births and deaths at each ward councillor’s office instead of in its regional offices in order to reduce public suffering and make the process easier.
To make this happen, the DNCC sent a letter to the Office of the Registrar General, Birth and Death Registration, seeking a user ID and password for every ward secretary.
Officials said the registrar general’s office agreed to the planned arrangement. It will hold a meeting with the DNCC on Tuesday to finalise details, reports bdnews24.com.
At present, the registration is done at six of the city corporation’s 10 regional offices.
Citizens have for long complained of suffering in getting birth and death registration. The councillors have been demanding to take this programme to their offices, saying that the sufferings will be reduced if this service is taken at the ward level.
The DNCC sent the letter to the registrar's office on Nov 29 after the city corporation approved the proposal in October.
Dhaka North City Corporation to register births, deaths at ward councillors’ offices
For correction in birth or death certificates, citizens need to visit the deputy commissioner's office. The DNCC has also asked the registrar general's office to take measures so that the regional executive officers can make any kind of corrections.
Mayor Atiqul Islam said LGRD Minister Tajul Islam was positive about the plan.
“My point is that if we can provide services in all 54 wards apart from the regional offices, then the quality of service will improve,” Atiqul said.
"People need to come to Mohakhali from Badda, Satarkul for the registration. Bosila residents need to come to Karwan Bazar. Bosila and Karwan Bazar are too far away, time is being wasted, and traffic jams are increasing in the city. Decentralisation will reduce the pressure.”
Brig Gen Md Jobaidur Rahman, chief health officer at DNCC, said they made necessary preparations to start the registration process at the ward level.
Once the new process is launched ward councillors will sign the registration forms. Currently assistant health officers at the regional offices sign the forms.
The registration fees remain the same as before.
The registration is free within 45 days from birth or death. The fee is Tk 25 for registration after 45 days but before five years. It is Tk 50 after five years.
Registrar General Md Rashedul Hasan said they agreed to the decentralisation of the registration process. “We’ll fix in Tuesday’s meeting how the work will be done.”
He, however, said the correction will still be done at the deputy commissioner’s office. “These will be done gradually.”
Citizens complain of bribery, besides the sufferings to get birth or death certificates.
Asked whether there would be such complaints in the registration at the ward councillor's office,
Dewan Abdul Mannan, councillor of ward number 11, believes bribery will stop if the registration is done at ward level because public representatives want people’s vote for reelection. “They’ll work responsibly.”