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Civil Registration System
Bangladesh
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Bangladesh
Civil Registration System
Local Civil Registrations
Local Civil Registrations
Powers and Responsibilities of Local Civil Registrars
Is the local civil registrar empowered by law to register vital events? If yes, do they have the power to issue certificates of registration?
Yes local civil registrar empowered to register vital events and issue certificates
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Legislation should clearly state the duties and powers of local registrars (the civil registrar responsible for the primary registration area), which include recording and registering vital events in compliance with registration laws, and issuing certificates or copies of vital records upon request, without needing approval from the central level.
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?
Yes, a registrar can correct minor errors, for a fee
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Legislation should authorize the local civil registrar to make minor corrections such as typographical and data entry errors in civil registration records. Such corrections should be free of charge.
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)?
No, a registrar does not have the power to add omitted information
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Legislation should authorize the local civil registrar to add uncontested information such as uncontested paternity information, and add omitted information such as adding or amending the name of a child within a defined time period.
Does the law require the local civil registration office to transmit registration records to the national civil registration authority on a regular and timely basis?
Yes
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The legislation should set time frames for transfer of information from the local register to the centralized register. The time frames may vary based on policymakers' discretion, depending on whether the system is computerized or non-computerized.
The Government of Bangladesh has established a national online Birth and Death Registration Information System (BDRIS) with over 5,500 locations—including all Union Parishads, municipalities, city corporations, and embassies. The system is maintained by the Registrar General. Under the Birth and Death Registration Rules, 2018, registrars record births and deaths in the online system and this information is available in real time to the national level Office of Birth and Death Registration.
Does the law provide the criteria or required qualifications for appointing, designating, or selecting local registrars?
To some extent
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
It is important that the law provide clear requirements governing fitness and qualifications of local civil registrars. To prevent corruption, the law should provide that registrars be full-time public service officials, with defined terms of employment and adequate salary level.
The Births and Deaths Registration Act designates local elected officials as Registrars. In cities, the registrar is the mayor of the city corporation. In municipalities, the registrar is the mayor of the mayor of the municipality. In areas within a Union Council (Parishad), the registrar is the chairman of the union council. In cantonment areas, the registrar is the executive officer of the cantonment board.
