Around 79,000 certificates issued through its ‘own server’ rendered invalid; residents face extra hassle, costs
The long-running complications over birth registration have reached a breaking point in the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).
Although the Office of the Registrar General holds legal jurisdiction, former mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh introduced an “own server” of the city corporation during his tenure, claiming it would boost revenue.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. Nearly 79,000 birth and 1,500 death registrations were recorded through this system. But after August 5 last year, DSCC’s registration process was reinstated under the Registrar General’s central server, rendering those certificates invalid.
As a result, residents are now being forced to reapply and pay the fees again. Every day, affected individuals crowd DSCC’s regional offices seeking valid certificates.
When I went for my son’s school admission, I found out the birth certificate issued during Taposh’s tenure was invalid. I had to reapply. They charged Tk 50 before, and again this time. When I asked about the earlier payment, no one had an answer.
— Jahidul Islam A resident of DSCC Zone-1
On Tuesday morning, Jahidul Islam waited outside the Zone-1 office at Nagar Bhaban, trying to collect a birth certificate for his four-year-old son, Ayman, ahead of school admission.
“When I went for admission, I found out the certificate issued during Taposh’s tenure was invalid,” he said. “I had to reapply. They charged Tk 50 before, and again this time. When I asked about the earlier payment, no one had an answer.”
In the same office, Dhanmondi resident Erfanul Rahman sought clarification about his daughter Abiba’s “fake birth certificate”.
He said, “When applying for a passport, they told me the certificate had no link to the national server. DSCC is supposed to provide services, but they are harassing us. Now they’re asking me to apply again.”
Victims say they must pay the government-prescribed fee again, with no refund for the money previously deposited into DSCC’s server. Death certificates issued through the server have also become invalid.
DSCC Zone-1’s Zonal Executive Officer Kazi Saleh Mustanzir said, “After August 5, we attempted to integrate South City’s birth and death registration data into the central system. Due to technical errors, not all data could be integrated. Therefore, people were asked to reapply.” Similar complaints came from Zone-3 in Nawabganj.
Monowar Hossain, dealing with his daughter Raida’s registration, said, “I already took the service from DSCC and paid the fee. Now I have to take it again.”
Zone-3’s Zonal Executive Officer Md Sujauddoula acknowledged the frustration. “Their anger is natural, as they are facing both extra expenses and suffering. The application fee is embedded in the online system, making submission impossible without payment.”
DSCC sources said Taposh demanded a share of the Registrar General’s revenue from birth certificates after taking office.
This dispute halted registration activities in the DSCC from June to September 2023. As public suffering grew, DSCC began issuing certificates directly from its own server on October 4, 2023, and collected fees accordingly.
However, as the server was not connected to the Registrar General’s database, problems surfaced immediately.
On October 19, 2023, then Registrar General Rashedul Hasan formally notified the Local Government Division secretary.
In January 2024, current Registrar General Md. Zahid Hossain repeatedly wrote letters declaring DSCC’s “own server” unlawful.
On August 3, 2024, amid the anti-discrimination student movement, Taposh left the country. Afterwards, certificate distribution through the national server resumed.
According to DSCC’s IT department, under Taposh’s directive, 78,956 birth and 1,471 death registrations were issued in about 10 and a half months, generating nearly Tk 40 lakh in revenue.
DSCC currently provides services through 10 zonal offices in 75 wards. Regulations require applications to be submitted via the Registrar General’s website and deposited at regional offices.
Certificates issued through DSCC’s own server could not be used for school and college admissions, national ID, passports, or driving licences, as verification was impossible without interconnection to the national server. This led to increasing suffering, forcing residents to reapply.
By law, a birth certificate is required for accessing government services, including the issuance of a national ID, passport, and driving licence.
The Registrar General’s office has MOUs with 22 government institutions under two acts, granting the Registrar General sole authority over software development, maintenance, and the preservation of registration data — leaving DSCC’s initiative without a legal basis.
Contacted, Registrar General Md Zahid Hossain said, “So far, problems have been resolved for 40,000 registrations in DSCC. Those are now available online. Work is ongoing to resolve the remaining issues.”