The 5th Population and Housing Census will be conducted by March 2021 with various changes and incorporation of new elements.
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) will conduct the census at an estimated cost of Tk35 billion.
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will help in funding the census major portion of which is to be funded by the government, BBS sources said.
During the census, the enumeration will be conducted for seven days instead of previous five days.
These were disclosed at a workshop on 'Population and Housing Census 2021: Prospect and Challenges' at BBS auditorium in the city.
Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Nojibur Rahman was present as the chief guest while Statistics and Information Division (SID) secretary Saurendra Nath Chakrabartty was special guest and UNFPA Bangladesh representative Dr Asa Torkelsson guest of honor.
BBS Census wing director and project director Zahidul Hoque Sardar made a presentation on the upcoming census.
In the presentation, Mr Zahid said the 2021 census is going to be held in the mid-point of SDG period.
A good number of population-related SDG indicators can be obtained from population and housing census.
"SDG target 17.19.2 sets a target for all countries to conduct a census at least every 10 years ending in zero or one. Population census is the foundation of a national statistical framework for monitoring the SDGs," he said.
Approximately 40 per cent or 99 SDG indicators are somehow related with population census, he added.
For the first time, the census will cover the expatriate Bangladeshis living abroad for short time.
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