Al Mamun Harun Ur Rashid :
With the tick of the clock, the country is nearing to the sixth Population and Housing Census which will be conducted across the country from June 15 to June 21.
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) sources said that the Census would be conducted digitally for the first time to make it flawless.
According to BBS, all essential preparations have been completed to conduct the Population and Housing Census across the country.
“Conducting a census is a mammoth task. We have almost finished all our preparations. We hope we will be able to provide a flawless data,” Director General of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics Mohammad Tajul Islam told The New Nation on Sunday.
About the digital use in the census, he said, “We would conduct a digital based census. The digital support will make the census work easy and smooth and it will make the data flawless.”
Emphasising on the participation of all in the census, he said, “The census is a big work. A single department or a division cannot do it alone. We want the support of all as it’s a national issue.”
BBS said that control of maps for the enumeration areas and web-based Integrated Census Management System (ICMS) along with Geographical Information System (GIS) have already been formulated for conducting the census. Along with the digital support, about 3.70 lakh enumerators, 64,000 supervisors and more than 4,500 BBS employees will remain ready to conduct the census effectively.
In addition to the big chunk of workforce, there will be about 900 employees of other departments and ministries and they will act as the zonal officers to carry out this mammoth task.
To create awareness among people how to provide correct information, the BBS has taken a number of initiatives including motivational songs, staging drams, documentary drama and census count down.
The midnight of June 14 will be regarded as “Census Reference Point or Time”. BBS sources said, there will be 35 questions in the questionnaire and urged all to provide correct information.
“We have taken a number of initiatives to create public awareness. We have involved the whole community to make the work effective,” Statistics and Informatics Division Secretary of BBS Dr. Shahnaz Arefin, ndc, told the New Nation.
“Even we are spreading information through the religious leaders and teachers of inadrases. We are distributing leaflets through the students so that their parents can get direct information,” she added.
She also sought the support of the media to play a vital role in disseminating census information.
Asked about the challenges to conduct the census in the Char lands, hills, coastal belts and Haors, she said, “We have given special attention to these areas during enumeration. The number of enumerators will be more compared to other areas so that they can count each and everyone.”
About women engagement in the enumeration process, she said, “The government wants to increase women participation in all spheres. Keeping this in mind, we have also engaged almost 50 percent women in the process of enumeration.”
After independence, country’s first Population and Housing Census was held in 1974 when total number of population was 7.15 crore – male 3.71 crore and female 3.44 crore.
The 2nd census was conducted in 1981 with the population of 8.99 crore – male 4.63 crore and female 4.36 crore and the 3rd census was held in 1991 with population of 11.15 crore -male 5.73 crore and female 5.42 crore.
The 4th census was held in 2001 with a population of 13.05 crore – male 6.77 crore and female 6.28 crore while the 5th one in 2011 with population of 14.98 crore – male 7.50 crore and female 7.50 crore.
