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Tuesday | October 06, 2026 | Dhaka

Half of births still go unregistered

 Staff Reporter
 Published: 12:45 AM, 06 October 2026
Experts seek law reform for universal registration

Bangladesh’s goal of achieving universal birth and death registration by 2030 faces a significant gap, with only around half of births and less than half of deaths currently registered, according to data cited by research and advocacy organisation Progga (Knowledge for Progress).

Experts have called for reform of the Birth and Death Registration Act, 2004, saying weaknesses in the existing law are hampering efforts to establish accurate and universal registration and undermining the country’s progress towards the 2030 target.

The call came ahead of National Birth and Death Registration Day 2026, to be observed tomorrow (6 October) under the theme “Nirbhul Nibondhon, Nischit Hobe Sushason” (Accurate Registration, Ensuring Good Governance).

According to Progga, only around 50 per cent of births and 47 per cent of deaths are currently registered in Bangladesh.

Experts said accurate registration is essential for protecting civic rights and improving development planning, public health management, equitable budget allocation and overall governance.

The low coverage means nearly half of the population could face difficulties accessing fundamental rights and essential services, including education and healthcare, Progga said.

It also warned that delays and inaccuracies in registration could heighten the risks of child labour, child marriage, human trafficking and other human rights violations.

The absence of death records can likewise create legal complications over inheritance and the distribution of property among family members, it said.

Registration coverage is particularly poor among communities in rural, coastal char, hilly and urban slum areas, according to Progga.

Healthcare facilities as registrars
Against this backdrop, experts have proposed amendments to the 2004 law to make healthcare facilities directly responsible for registering births.

Nearly 67 per cent of children in Bangladesh are born at healthcare facilities, meaning such a system could enable a large proportion of births to be registered automatically and more accurately, they said.

Making healthcare facilities responsible for registration could also reduce data distortion and fraudulent registrations while improving transparency and accountability, according to the experts.

They said the reform could accelerate Bangladesh’s progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.9, which calls for legal identity for all, including birth registration, by 2030.

In a statement issued ahead of National Birth and Death Registration Day 2026, ABM Zubair, executive director of Progga, said reliable citizen data was fundamental to good governance.

“The primary prerequisite for ensuring good governance is preserving accurate and universal data for all citizens,” he said.

“Reforming the Birth and Death Registration Act, 2004 to assign mandatory registration duties to healthcare facilities will expedite Bangladesh’s progress toward achieving universal registration by 2030,” Zubair added.

Experts said closing the registration gap would require not only legal reform but also easier access to registration services for marginalised communities, ensuring that accurate records become a basic foundation for citizens’ rights and effective public administration.