Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) is awaiting permission from the government to implement the National Population Register (NPR), Director General Mohammad Tajul Islam said on Thursday.
"We’re now waiting for the government's permission to implement the project. The initiative was taken in 2010 but it subsequently came to a halt. NPR is very significant for the nation," he told reporters at a workshop at BBS auditorium in the city.
The National Accounting (price and wages) Wing of the BBS organised the workshop attended by its officials and journalists.
Tajul also said that he received complaints about land registration using forged NID. "If we could implement NPR properly, then cheaters won't be able to take chances."
He said Japan completed their population census amid the Covid pandemic thanks to NPR. "But Bangladesh couldn’t do anything about it," he added.
On his part, Secretary of Statistics & Informatics Division Mohammad Yamin Chowdhury said that people must be apprised of all government statistics for the sake of inclusive development.
"We’ll be able to implement NPR if the Prime Minister permits us to go ahead with the project. People should be included in development. So NPR is significant," he added.
He noted that if there is no inflation, the economy will not work. “Inflation should remain at a healthy level. It’s good that Bangladesh’s inflation is around 5 percent,” he said.
Chief information officer of the Information Department Surath Kumar Sarkar said that modern technology is needed to ensure inclusive development. "And development will succeed only if people are included."
He added that if the Health Department did not update Coronavirus data every day, there would have been misconceptions among the people. Even unnecessary criticism and rumours are going on about the vaccine.
The media can play a role here in dispelling misconceptions, he said.
Deputy Director General of Bangladesh Betar A S M Zahid said, "Bangladesh needs a mobile application for easy access of data. Data is significant for taking proper planning. It will be more helpful for the media too."
