Importance of population census

COUNTRY'S fifth population census is set to begin from the 15th of the next month and it will continue for the next four days. The countrywide population census conducted after every 10 years to enumerate the number of people and households is of great importance as far as national policy planning, economic or otherwise, is concerned. The census results enable the policymakers and others concerned to know the size of the population and the number of households even of the smallest administrative units. Such important information makes the preparation of social and development projects and programmes and distribution of resources relatively easy. However, the success of population census, which is an enormous task, and its reliability depend on meticulous planning and sincerity on the part of the enumerators and proper compilation of the relevant data. Stakeholders concerned, on occasions, have expressed their frustration over paucity of data or unreliability of data collected, mainly by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). Yet the state-supplied data have, in most cases, formed the basis of national level planning in the absence of any alternative and reliable source of data. During the last couple of censuses, the enumerators in many areas of towns, cities and other urban centres, allegedly, skipped their real work and included concocted data. Besides, the people were also not adequately sensitized about the importance of this type of census at the national level. The agencies concerned, as a matter of habit, try to end their job in a non-serious manner. One does not have enough reasons to feel assured that this time the situation would be different. And the reaction coming from participants of a workshop, who included, among others, government officials and members of law enforcing agencies, held in Dhaka last Sunday rather strengthens such a fear. They complained about lack of adequate preparation and mass campaign in support of the upcoming census. In fact, the population census which provides an opportunity to gather demographic and other nationally important data is a gigantic task requiring lots of preparations and motivational campaign even up to the grassroots. But the start of the census work remaining less than a month away, the agency concerned is yet to launch any campaign to make the people aware of this important national event. It would be really unfortunate if the BBS engages a large army of part-time enumerators without adequate training and motivation. Moreover, the money paid as honoraria by the government to the enumerators and their supervisors is found to be highly unattractive. Unless the ministry of planning takes immediate measures to remove the deficiencies, if there is any, from the population census programme, there are chances that the data collected through it, in many cases, would be flawed. The population census provides a great opportunity to the government to gather all the important information at a time from every individual household across the country. Instead of concentrating only on demographic data, the house-to-house enumerators may also collect all the information relevant to national policy and development planning. If needed, more time should be allocated to the census work. Besides, a section of people tend to consider the giving of any information to the surveyors as a mere wastage of time. So, the government needs to enact a law to make it mandatory for all to furnish right information to the people engaged in survey or census works on behalf of the state. Everybody does need to know that reliable data help prepare better plans.