It is quite concerning that, despite birth registration being mandatory in the country, the practice has not picked up pace as expected. According to a recent report in Prothom Alo, births of only 45 percent of children aged one year have been registered in the first eight months of this year. This means Bangladesh is still far behind in achieving the target of 100 percent birth registration by 2024, undertaken as part of the Asian and Pacific Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Decade. The vacuum that has been created in our city corporations following the political changeover in August has also played a role here. For example, the registration work in various ward councils under the Dhaka North City Corporation was reportedly on hold for over two months, until it resumed on October 9.

The complicated process of registering births and deaths deters people from availing the service on time. Lack of awareness is also an issue. According to the report, in the 12 city corporations across the country, only six percent of births have been registered within a year, while the rate of late registration is 60 percent. The situation is similar in the case of deaths too. In the above-mentioned period, 45 percent of the deaths have been registered; 21 percent of deaths have been registered within a year, while the rate of late registration is 79 percent.

Obtaining a birth registration certificate is essential for access to all the essential services that the government offers. It is also the legal proof of citizenship for a child. However, the registration process is quite cumbersome: bureaucratic and technical complexities, lacklustre service and many other irregularities cause parents to put off registering their children's birth until absolutely necessary, such as vaccination and school admission. This delay can only be avoided by making the registration process simple and user-friendly.

Therefore, the relevant authorities should consider putting more effort into making the registration of births and deaths easier and more accessible. To this end, a registrar can be appointed at every hospital across the country. An awareness campaign can also help people understand the importance of registering births and deaths on time. The government must put concerted efforts to raise the numbers of birth and death registration if it wants to meet the Sustainable Development Goal of 100 percent birth and 80 percent death registration by 2030.