Next census will be flawless: Mannan

The Sixth Population and Housing Census will begin on June 15 and for the week-long survey will be conducted in digital format first time in Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) under the Statistics and Informatics Division will conduct the census, under which around 3,70,000 numerators will collect the data across the country using 3,95,000 tablet computers.

The BBS made the announcement on Wednesday at a press briefing at the National Economic Council conference room at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka.

In this census, data of all households of the country will be collected simultaneously using a GIS (Geographic Information System) based digital map and Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) method.

The census will be conducted under the name “Population & Housing Census-2022”. The data from the field level for the census will be collected from June 15 to June 21, which will be considered the “Census Week”.

The midnight of June 14 (zero hour of June 15) will be considered as the “Census Reference Point or Time”.

BSS adds: Planning Minister MA Mannan at the briefing said the next census would be much more flawless and accurate. “At first, we had thought of conducting the next census manually, but later we had decided to conduct it digitally. Since Bangladesh has advanced a lot digitally, smartphones are being used everywhere while internet connections has also witnessed an uptrend. The digital method will make the population census flawless and it will be more accurate,” he said.

State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam spoke as special guest on the occasion presided over by Statistics and Informatics Division Secretary Dr Shahnaj Arefin.

Project Director of the Population and Housing Census 2022 Dilder Hossain made the key-note presentation at the workshop while Statistics and Informatics Division official Dr Dipankar Roy conducted the question and answer sessions. BBS Director General Md Tajul Islam was also present, among others.

The planning minister said that they tried to hold the Population Census last year, but it could not be held due to various reasons including the Covid-19 pandemic.

Noting that many countries of the world usually hold their Population Census in every five years or within less time, Mannan said that Bangladesh also should not wait for 10 years in this regard side by side there is also a need for using modern and contemporary technology.

He said in order to hold the census accurately, they have always informed the prime minister about the developments while all-out support and cooperation would be sought from the countrymen to make this huge endeavour a success.

“We’re planning to hold such Census within a gap of short time. The country has advanced a lot, especially in science and technology while smartphones have also reached every nook and corner. Then why we won’t be able to hold Census in short time instead of 10 years?”

Mannan went on saying, “We’ll conduct the operations of Census in real time as many countries are following this. We are hopeful of conducting census in every five years after the next census for which we’ll have to boost our capacity and if needed we’ll have to take support from experts.”

State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam said through digital method, the government would strive for holding population census in every five years adding, “It’s my belief that we’ll be successful.”

The country’s first Population and Housing Census was held in the country in 1974 followed by the 2nd census in 1981, the 3rd one in 1991, the 4th census in 2001 while the 5th one in 2011.

The data from the field-level for the census will be collected from June 15 to June 21 while this will also be considered as ‘census week’.

Under the census operations, demographic and socio-economic data like number of households and their nature, ownership of homes, main source of drinking water, toilet facilities, power facilities, main source of fire for cooking, economic operations, inward remittance, age of household members, gender, marital status, religion, obstacles, education, work, training, mobile phone and internet usage, bank/mobile banking accounts, small ethnic groups, nationality and various district-wise information would be collected.

The midnight of June 14 (zero hour of June 15) will be considered as ‘census reference point or time’.