Bangladesh to begin first digital population census at 12am Wednesday

The first Digital Population and Housing Census of Bangladesh will begin at 12am Wednesday with the count of floating people

Authorities will collect information on 365,697 devices over seven days and ask for 35 pieces of information from every citizen around the country.

Population and Housing Census 2022 Project Director Dilder Hossain on Tuesday said the survey of the floating people will be carried out in 20,000 locations and end at 6am Wednesday.

The main phase of the sixth population census will then begin at 8am and continue until Jun 21.

The census will be carried out by as many as 63,548 supervisors, 3,779 IT supervisors, 3,779 zonal officers, 163 district census coordinators and 12 divisional census coordinators..

The fifth census was done in 2011 and the one scheduled in 2021 was delayed by the pandemic.

The internet on the tabs being used for data collection will be provided by mobile network operator Robi. Each questionnaire entry from a numerator will automatically be submitted to the database and then to the data centre of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics or BBS.

The census will include family members living overseas to estimate the correct number of expatriates, and also foreigners living in Bangladesh.

In this census, enumerators will account households and people living in each home separately, along with types of houses, their ownership, sources of drinking water, toilet facilities, electricity connection, sources of cooking fuels, and socio-economic information, among others.

Dilder called on everyone to assist the project and assured that all information will remain confidential.

HAMID, HASINA MESSAGES

On the eve of the occasion, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave messages wishing success of the census.

In his message, Hamid said: "I welcome the initiative of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics to conduct a nationwide digital census and data collection program from Jun 15-21, 2022.”

“The Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) method of collecting data in the census and the use of digital technology in data collection activities will require less time in data collection and processing,” the president added.

Hasina said: "The greatest Bengali of all time and Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had realised the essential importance of statistics in formulating proper plan for the reconstruction of war-torn Bangladesh and monitoring the future development and progress of the country.”

The Statistics Division was created under the Ministry of Planning in 1975 to coordinate the overall activities of the BBS, now known as the Department of Statistics and Information Management, she added.

The prime minister said the Awami League-led government is committed to collecting and publishing acceptable and standard statistics for making pragmatic decisions and plans in all fields.

"Therefore, I strongly urge the people of the country to provide all kinds of assistance to the census-related workers in providing proper information and conducting data collection activities," Hasina added.