On July 19, 2025, a seminar held in Dhaka revealed the findings of a joint study by the BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health at BRAC University and the Data for Health Initiative at Johns Hopkins University. The research focused on death registry disparities in Bangladesh and found that women are significantly less likely to have their deaths officially registered compared to men. While around 26% of men receive a death registry, the figure for women is only 5%.
According to the Birth and Death Registration Act, 2004, it is mandatory to register the death of any individual, regardless of gender, within 45 days. However, the reality is far from this legal requirement, especially for women.
The study, conducted in Dinajpur and Panchagarh upazilas, identified five major barriers preventing women from being registered after death:
1. Lack of Awareness about the importance and process of death registration.
2. Perception that registration is unnecessary, especially if the deceased woman did not own property or land.
3. Delayed registration that only happens when there is a legal or economic need.
4. Lack of required documents, particularly affecting rural women.
5. Poor coordination and lack of expertise in relevant government offices.
The researchers emphasized that death registration is a basic citizenship right. They urged government officials, healthcare workers, and families to be more proactive and aware of the importance of ensuring this right for women.
Source: Prothom Alo
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