BSS) – Local Government, Rural Development (LGRD) and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan today said serving the people is the foremost duty of an elected government.

“Elected representatives and government officials must work responsibly to meet the expectations of the people who elect the government,” he told a discussion marking the ‘National Birth and Death Registration Day 2026’ at a city hotel today.

The Office of the Registrar General, Birth and Death Registration, and the Local Government Division jointly organised the programme.

Dr Khan said elected representatives and government officials may work through different mechanisms, but their ultimate objective should be the same – to serve the people.

“The authority entrusted to the government should be used to meet people’s needs and protect their rights, not to create obstacles to public services,” he said.

Referring to birth and death registration, the minister said the system is crucial for effective national administration.

However, he expressed concern over a significant mismatch between the country’s actual population and the data in the registration database.

“It is a matter of concern that the registration database contains information on far more people than the country’s population of around 190 million,” he said, stressing the need to correct the discrepancies and make the registration system accurate and reliable.

Dr Khan said technology alone could not ensure quality public services; those operating the technology must also perform their duties responsibly.

The LGRD minister said citizens should not be required to visit a union parishad repeatedly to obtain a simple birth certificate.

He called for greater accountability and a people-oriented approach to service delivery at the grassroots.

Speaking as the special guest, State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam said former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, with support from UNICEF, introduced the birth and death registration system in Bangladesh in 2001, including the mother’s identity alongside the father’s.

He said Bangladesh currently has 24.88 crore birth registrations and 58.19 lakh death registrations, while the 2022 census recorded the country’s population at around 17 crore.

The state minister underscored the need to ensure accurate registration to address such statistical discrepancies.

Noting that the Birth and Death Registration Information System (BDRIS) is an important foundation for implementing the “One Citizen, One ID, One Digital Wallet” initiative, he also stressed the need to raise awareness about birth and death registration at the union, ward and village levels.

He said reintroducing the village government system could also help improve the accuracy of registration at the grassroots.

Local Government Division Secretary Md Shahidul Hasan chaired the event.

Officials from relevant ministries and government agencies, the European Union Delegation in Dhaka and UNICEF Bangladesh were also present.