Planning Minister MA Mannan today told parliament that the government would be able to collect real-time population information in future through the National Population Register (NPR).
“I hope we will no longer need to carry out a population census every 10 years. Instead, we have already started the work of the National Population Register (NPR) and thanks to this we we will be able to collect data around the clock in real time… we will instantly get the exact number at the right time through technology,” he said.
The Minister of Planning also expressed hope that the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) would be able to maintain its continued success in such an endeavour.
Mannan said this while delivering his speech in Jatiya Sangsad on the operations of the 6th Population and Housing Census already held in Jatiya Sangsad today.
He informed the august chamber that it would no longer be necessary in the future to organize such a population census, which takes so much time and involves considerable sums, because the government has a cost-effective technology for the accomplish with ease and comfort.
The Minister said that the experience and knowledge of the staff of the Statistics Division as well as its overall management are now much better and stronger than before.
He said the available data and information from the census would be helpful in having a clear guideline on the government’s overall development scenario and also in determining the kind of measures to be taken in the future.
“This related information will play an important role in the development planning process in the future.”
Mannan said that the preliminary census report was released on July 27, 2022, less than a month after the census was conducted, which is also a successful example of the realization of the government’s commitment to build Digital Bangladesh.
He also extended his sincere thanks to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and others concerned for making this census a success.
According to the preliminary census report, the total population of Bangladesh is now 165,158,616; of which 81,712,824 are male and 83,347,206 are female while the third sex population is 12,629.
A total of 113,063,587 people live in rural areas while 52,009,072 people live in urban areas.
For the first time in the country, population census work started digitally on June 15.
According to the report, the population of Bangladesh has increased by 21,114,919 over the past 11 years.
The population of the country was 144,043,697 in 2011, according to the previous census held in 2011.
The country’s first population and housing census took place in 1974, followed by the 2nd census in 1981, the 3rd in 1991, the 4th census in 2001 and the 5th in 2011.
According to the latest census report, the population growth in Bangladesh has declined.
The rate was 2.84% in 1981, 2.01% in 1991, 1.58% in 2001, 1.86% in 2011 and 1.22% in 2022.
Among the country’s eight divisions, Dhaka has the highest population growth rate at 1.74% and Barishal the lowest at 0.79%.
On June 15, the operations of the 6th Population and Housing Census started simultaneously across the country. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched the week-long census at a ceremony at his official Ganabhaban residence in the capital.
The census was due to end on June 21, but due to flooding in the four northeastern districts, the census continued until June 28.
The BBS conducted the census after more than 11 years.