Census to include new data this time

For the first time, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) will include data on remittance, returning migrants, and foreign nationals in the next digital population and housing census-2022, which will take place from June 15 to 21.

Dr Dipankar Roy, an official of the BBS, unveiled this information at a four-day training session on how to conduct the census at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center yesterday.

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"The census will collect all the data on remittance and returning migrants for the last two years. At the same time, all Bangladeshi nationals who are temporarily staying abroad for less than six months will be counted too," said Roy, team leader of the technical support team.

He said the census will also incorporate all possible datasets focusing on achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This will be the last census held until 2030, when the country is scheduled to achieve the SDGs.

The census will record the number of foreigners living in Bangladesh as well as their nationalities. In addition, the BBS will now accurately count the number of people whose ages are in the triple digits.

In the past, those above 100 years of age were previously listed as 99-year-olds, meaning that accurate data on their numbers was unavailable.

Around 3.7 lakh numerators will collect the data countrywide by using 3.95 lakh tablet computers. The authorities will collect data through the Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing system by using the Geographic Information System.

Speaking as chief guest, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said all the people must come under the census to help the government ensure proper planning. "We can't work well in the economy if the statistics are incorrect as all ideas and plans will be shattered," he added.

In a video message, Planning Minister MA Mannan said they want a correct, impeccable census.

"So, we have appointed many senior officials to monitor the field level activities of numerators," he added.