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Birth Registration
Bangladesh
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Bangladesh
Birth Registration
Procedure and Certificates
Procedure and Certificates
Place
Where must births be reported?
Place of occurrence
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Registration may be place of occurrence of place of residence. The civil registration law should clearly state the place where births must be reported. Reporting in the place of occurrence usually makes the registration process faster and easier for the informant. The determination of the place of usual residence may be in fact complicated for some people who have more than one residence or often move. In addition, reporting at place of occurrence facilitates declaration or notification by a health facility.
Countries with electronic systems for civil registration may allow more flexibility and allow reporting from anywhere the civil registration system can be accessed.
What are the reporting periods for birth registration specified in law?
45 days/upto 5 years/after 5 years
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
A clear deadline for reporting a birth, especially a short one, reduces the risk of misreporting or underreporting. The deadline is typically between 14 and 30 days.
A late birth registration occurs when a birth is reported after the legally specified time period, but within a grace period, usually one year after the vital event.
Delayed birth registration is the registration that occurs after the grace period has expired. Delayed birth registration may occur many years after the event, and may require additional evidence.
Births must be reported to the registrar within 45 days. Period for late registrations are between 45 days to 5 years. Period of delayed birth registrations are those that occur after 5 years.
Are there any fees or fine for late or delayed birth registration?
Yes
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Fees are not effective in preventing late or delayed registration and may act as a disincentive for registration. If fees are charged for delayed or late registration, policymakers should consider having a fee-waiver process for those for whom fees are a hardship. More effective results to increase registration rates are observed through educational programmes aimed at the public. Some countries have opted to impose a penalty for failure to register or, more precisely, refusal to register, rather than impose a fee for late registration.
The Births and Deaths Registration Act imposes a fee for late and delayed registration. The fee for registration from 45 days up to 5 years after a birth or death is 25 Taka (approximately USD $0.20). The fee for registration of a birth or death after 5 years is 50 Taka (approximately USD $0.50) [Rule 21(1)]. The Registrar has the power to waive fees for the disabled, helpless and orphans [Rule 21(4)].
What is the minimum information required for birth registration?
Minimum information required is in accordance with UN guidance and registrars have discretion to register birth without all information
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The information required for legal purposes is minimal, and usually consists of: given name; surname; date of birth; birthplace; sex; and names of both the parents. It is preferable that information on both parents is provided but registration should not be denied if the mother cannot or will not name the father. Registrars should be authorized to complete registration with the available information to strive for universal registration. Failure to provide statistical data elements such as the weight of the child, should also not prevent birth registration.
Under the Birth and Death Registration Rules, Rule 3(1)(A), the following information is requested at birth registration: the name of the person, date of birth, gender, place of birth, position in the parents’ children (and in adopted children, if any), Birth Registration Number of father and mother (if any), name and present and permanent address along with the National Identity Card Number (if any). Birth registration shall not be refused if there is no paternal information or if any other information is lacking; in such cases, the data field is marked "unavailable". (Rule 3(1)(C, 3(2)). Under the Births and Deaths Registration Act, under certain circumstances, the birth of a child may be registered without a name (Section 10).
What evidence is required for on-time birth registration?
Letter from health facility or birth attendant; or proof of permanent residence, and parental birth registration number or national ID number
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Registrars should require proof as to the veracity of the information to be registered. Proof or evidence required for registration must be sufficiently stringent to provide assurance of the accuracy of the information without being so burdensome so burdensome as to discourage or prevent registration. Documentary evidence is always preferred. For birth registration, the most common form of documentary evidence is the notification of birth (from health sector or local leader), but if this is not available, testimony or affidavits of witnesses may be substituted.
For birth registration, the Birth and Death Registration Rules require a letter or other document from a health institution or birth attendant as proof of date and place of birth. Where this is not available, for example in the case of an at-home birth without a birth attendant, the parents must provide proof of 1) permanent residence and 2) the birth registration certificate or National Identity Card along with the respective numbers of the parents. If a person does not have a permanent residence, this data field may be recorded as "unavailable". It is unclear if birth registration can be accepted if the parents to do not have birth registration or a National ID Card.
Are there additional or alternative documents required for late or delayed birth registration?
Yes
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
While late and delayed reporting should be discouraged, the procedures should not be so restrictive as to prevent late and delayed reporting of events. Laws that require a court order for late or delayed registration present a significant barrier to registration. For late registration (within 1-year grace period), the provision of a notification of birth, or other evidence required for on-time registration, should be sufficient. For delayed registration (after 1 year), the law may require additional evidence such as a witness statement.
If a birth is reported more than 45 days after the date of birth, the following additional evidence is required: 1) the child's immunization records (called an EPI card, if applying within 5 years of birth, or 2) a certificate from a qualified physician as proof of age, if applying after 5 (five) years of birth, or 3) an educational certificate.
Does the registrar (local or other level) have the authority to correct minor errors (such as data entry errors and typographical errors)? If yes, are such changes free of charge?
Local registrar can make corrections for a fee
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The civil registration agency should have authority to correct errors such as obvious spelling, date or typographical errors.Providing the registration agency with authority to make these types of corrections relieves the applicant of having to spend time and money applying to courts. No fee should be charged for minor clerical errors.
The registrar has the power to correct errors (minor and substantive) if the request for correction is received within 90 days of the date of issuance of the birth or death certificate. If the request is received after 90 days, the registrar must forward the application to a supervisory level (which is the District Administrator for Registrars for registrars at the city, municipality and cantonment level, and the Sub-District Executive Officer for Registrars for registrars at the union council level). Corrections are subject to a fee of 50 Taka (approximately USD $0.50).
Does the registrar (local or other level) have the power to add omitted information (such as name of baby, in the case of late naming, and paternity information)? If yes, are such changes free of charge?
No, a registrar does not have the power to add omitted information
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The civil registration agency should have authority to add information omitted in the original record, such as the late addition of a baby name within the time frame for late naming, or adding uncontested paternity information. Providing the registration agency with authority to make these types of amendments elieves the applicant of having to spend time and money applying to courts. No fee should be charged for adding omitted information
Is the original birth certificate provided free of charge?
Yes
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Legislation should require the registrar, upon completion of registration, to issue an original birth certificate to the parents of the child free of charge. Ideally, the local registrar has the power to issue a birth certificate, as this will shorten the time frame for certificate issuance.
The original birth certificate is free of charge. This is implied in the Birth and Death Registration Rules, which state that on-time registration is free and provide a fee for copies of certificates, while being silent on the topic of fees for the original certificate.
