BANGLADESH

Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) has estimated the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) failed to count 3.97 percent of the population in the 2011 census.

"The error is lower than the 2001 census when 4.98 percent people were left out," director-general Dr Mustafa K Mujeri said as he disclosed the results of the post-enumeration check at his office on Monday

The preliminary results of the Population and Housing Census 2011 released on July 16 last year showed Bangladesh's total population at 142.319 million on Mar 15, the census night.

To eliminate the error, BIDS was assigned the task of post-enumeration check to determine the coverage and content errors of the census.

If the undercount is adjusted in the preliminary results, the number of population will be 5.7 million more.

"But the number will be even more once we finalise the final results of the census," BBS director-general Md Shahjahan Ali Mollah said, adding they will be able to produce the final results by June.

"We will adjust this 3.97 percent in the final count," he said.

Bangladesh has a long history of census. The first one was conducted in 1872. Since then census has been conducted every 10 years.

After independence, the first population and housing census was held in 1974, when the preliminary results projected country's population at 71.48 million. The adjusted population was 76.40 million.

The final results of the census will provide population size, growth, composition and distribution of the projection of food, education, infrastructure, employment, healthcare and assessment of other basic requirements as well as analysis of past, present and future growth of population.

According to Election Commission rules, it is mandatory to update the electoral rolls based on census results.

Since many raised questions about the 'competence' of BBS to hold the census, the BIDS was assigned for the first time for the task.

According to BIDS director general, they had collected samples from 33,600 households of 280 enumeration areas from last year's Apr 10-14. The number of enumeration areas was 296,718 during the Census.

"We have retrained experienced enumerators of BBS who worked during the census to collect data. They were assigned in areas different from those covered during the main census," Mujeri said.

Of the 280 areas, 140 were taken from rural areas while 20 from upazilla headquarters, 60 from municipalities and as many from city corporations.

People of the municipal areas missed out the most, 5.26 percent, while it was lowest in city Corporation and rural areas, 3.85 percent and 3.79 percent respectively.

Mujeri said it was usual that many people would be left unaccounted for in any census in the world. "The post-check helps to adjust the number."

The preliminary results of the fifth census last year also showed 964 people live in every square kilometre in Bangladesh with an almost equal number of males and females.

It also suggested that the population was growing at a rate of 1.34 percent annually, 0.24 percentage points decline from the 2001's 1.58 percent.

The growth rate put Bangladesh in the fourth spot in the region's lower population growing countries after Thailand, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.

At 2.1 percent, Sylhet has the highest growth rate followed by Dhaka at 1.8 percent and Chittagong 1.4 percent, while Barisal's population growth rate is zero.

With 8,111 people living every square kilometre, Dhaka is the most densely-populated district, while Bandarban is at the other extreme with only 86 people every square kilometre.

The number of households stands at 32.068 million, with average 4.4 people constituting one household.

The BBS director general on Monday said the US Census Bureau provided them with modern software and scanners, while the European Union and UNFPA are giving financial assistance, apart from those coming from the government.

The enumerators went door to door to collect data from people who stayed in Bangladesh during that period. At night, they counted floating people.

Foreigners who stayed during that time in Bangladesh were also counted, as they used 'de facto census' method. But the results did not present any count of foreigners in the country.