National Birth, Death Registration Day to be observed on October 6

The cabinet on Monday approved a proposal on observing October 6 as the National Birth and Death Registration Day to raise awareness about death registration as well.

Before, the day used to be observed only as Birth Registration Day in Bangladesh.

The proposal was approved at the weekly cabinet meeting held at the secretariat on Monday, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

The premier joined the meeting virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban, while her cabinet colleagues attended the meeting at the Cabinet Room in Bangladesh Secretariat.

“This proposal has been placed as we need death registration in many cases, like birth registration,” Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said at a press briefing.

According to Clause 8 of the Birth and Death Registration Act, 2004, it is mandatory to register a birth or a death within the subsequent 45 days.

“So they [the authority concerned] want to observe the day to make it [birth and death registration] more effective, and make common people and workers [engaged in registration services] aware as well as make them more conscious of it,” the cabinet secretary said.

He said there was also a target of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for enhancing both birth and death registration rates to 80% by 2030. But Bangladesh would be able to attain the target before 2030, said Anwarul Islam.

Besides, the cabinet gave the final approval to the draft of Bangladesh National Museum Bill, 2021 with a provision of maximum punishment of 10-year jail and Tk10 lakh fine in a bid to replace an ordinance of the military regime.

The proposed law will be effective for other museums too, besides the National Museum, he said.

The meeting in principle approved the draft of the Bangladesh Zoo Bill, 2021 to modernize the animal collection, rearing, and conservation processes as well as the management of the zoos.

If any visitor enters the zoo without paying the entry fee, the punishment would be highest two-month jail, maximum Tk1,000 fine or both, said Khandker Anwarul Islam.

The cabinet also directed the authorities concerned to incorporate a fresh provision in the proposed law, keeping punishment for harming zoo animals.

The meeting also approved in principle the draft of the Government Primary School Teacher Welfare Trust Bill, 2021 to replace an ordinance from 1985.

If any teacher gets registered under the law and pays its fees, their family will get benefits from the trust fund, said the cabinet secretary.

In case of the death of any teacher (member of the trust), his or her minor children will get their educational expenses from the welfare trust until they become adults, according to a new provision included in the proposed law, he said.