
A recent study has revealed that women’s death registration in the country remains low, primarily due to their lack of land ownership.
According to its findings, people are more likely to register the death of their women family members when legal or financial needs, such as inheritance claims or loan settlements, arise. Â
The findings of the study, conducted in Rangpur division, were disclosed at a dissemination event held at a city hotel on Saturday.
The BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health under BRAC University, in collaboration with the Gender Equity Unit of the Data for Health Initiative at Johns Hopkins University as the lead partner, and Vital Strategies, an international public health
organisation, conducted the study with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies.
This qualitative study to explore the underlying causes of gender disparities in death registration and identify actionable solutions, found that only 32 per cent of the recorded deaths in 2023–2024 were of female—6,537 out of total 20,202 deaths.
The study also found that in Rangpur division, the highest rate of female death registration—22 per cent—was in Dinajpur district, while the lowest, at just 4 per cent, was in Panchagarh district.
The speakers at the event stressed the importance of proper death registration, noting that without it, effective public health policies could not be formulated.
Mamunur Rashid, joint secretary at the Health Services Division under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, acknowledged the gender gap.
‘I fully agree with the findings of this study…one of the main barriers is that very few women in rural areas own land or property, so families often don’t see a reason to register their deaths. But this
must change—these gaps have serious implications for equity and public health.’  Â
Zahid Hossain, registrar general of the Office of the Registrar General (Birth and Death Registration), Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, said, ‘There is a clear and persistent disparity between male and female death registration, and this is now becoming a public policy issue.
The study identified several barriers hindering death registration, including limited awareness of its purpose and benefits, particularly in rural areas—lack of property ownership or financial assets among women; absence of required documents such as digital birth certificates; and institutional challenges, including inadequate staffing and poor coordination across agencies.
The study recommended enhancing public awareness with a focus on gender-sensitive messaging, simplifying the death registration process and removing associated costs, building human resource capacity at registration offices, providing targeted legal incentives, and strengthening grassroots-level communication.