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Confusion over census outcome

RlZANUZZAMAN LASKAR ondRAKIB AHAMMED
The preliminary results of the latest census, which puts the country's population at 14.23 crore, do not tally with the figures projected last year by different United Nations bodies and government high-ups.
Debates and confusions regarding the population count arose when United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in its 2010 world population report said Bangladesh's population that year was around 16.44 crore. The government criticised the report for being inaccurate.
Quoting government statistics, Finance Minister AMA Muhith in October last said the country's population was 14.60 crore.
Following the minister's remark, population experts and researchers had assumed that the population count in the fifth census would be lower than 16 crore.
Then in March, the UNFPA revised its projection of Bangladesh's population to 14.80 crore.
UNFPA officials said the economic and social affairs department of UN collects data on various indicators such as growth rate, birth rate and death rate of a country to project its population.
A census is more accurate than all forms of projection. Therefore, the UNFPA has revised its report with more accurate projections, they said.
Experts, however, question the way the census was conducted and the results obtained.
Prof Nurunnobi, a leading population researcher, said, "The [latest] census lacked proper promotional activities and people were not much enthusiastic about getting listed." Besides, enumerators did not visit all houses.
Experts say many things like policy-making and development activities involve population count. Therefore, confusion about the national population would result in weak policymaking and national development measures.
An accurate count is also closely related to food production, imports of various goods and economic indica-
tors such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and per capita income.
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics officials have admitted that the preliminary census results are not entirely accurate. They said some data might have been lost during the counting process.
"This is why there is a post-enumeration check [PEC] to verify the preliminary results," said Ashim Kumar Dey, census director ofBBS.
"If there are any errors in the [preliminary] results, those would be uncovered in the PEC," he said.
Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies would conduct the PEC and help BBS produce the final population count, which is expected to be revealed in September.
Upon adjustment, the final population count may be a five percent increase of the preliminary results, experts said.
As per the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics' (BBS) latest census, the country's population stands at 14.23 crore, which experts say is incorrect.