DHAKA, Sep 14, 2021 (BSS) - The main enumeration operations of the next Population and Housing Census 2021 is unlikely to take place in this October due to the impacts of COVID-19 and also for delay in tendering process for procuring of tabs meant for the census.

   The main enumeration process of the next Population and Housing Census 2021 was billed for October 25 to October 31 this year.

   This was informed at a seminar on the digital aspect of the Population and Housing Census 2021 held at the auditorium of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) today.

   Planning Minister MA Mannan spoke on the occasion as the chief guest while State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam spoke as special guest and UNFPA Bangladesh representative Dr Asa Torkelsson as guest of honour.

  Chaired by Statistics and Informatics Division Secretary Muhammad Yamin Chowdhury, BBS Director General Mohammad Tajul Islam gave the address of welcome while project director of Population and Housing Census, 2021 Project Kabir Uddin Ahmed made a presentation on the Overall Architecture of Digital Census 2021.

  Speaking on the occasion, Planning Minister MA Mannan said that Population and Housing Census is the biggest task of the BBS, but the main enumeration operations of it would not start as per the scheduled timeframe due to COVID-19 pandemic.

   "Perhaps in future, we need not to hold such Population and Housing census in such way as data and information will be updated in every moment. We'll also have to peruse austerity in this census project," he said.

   State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam said that data and information is required for framing any plan. "Like how much food we'll require, what will be the actual production and how many infrastructures do we need? All kinds of information will be available through census. But, data and information needs to be updated every now and then,"

   Statistics and Informatics Division Secretary Muhammad Yamin Chowdhury said that there is a mandatory provision for holding Digital Census as per the concerned law. "If it is done through digital method, then it could be updated any time. Side by side, it will also save cost, time and labour and thus ensure accountability." He added.