The National Population Register (NPR) is a system that continuously records of personal information of all usual residents, including citizens and non-citizens residing on the territory of a country that meet the requirement for registration as set out in the relevant legal framework of the country under which a comprehensive identity database to be maintained by the competent authority especially by the National Statistical Organization. The register database contains the basic identical and demographic information along with biometric signs of the residents of the country. It can be treated as the information hub connected with different citizen service delivery initiatives to render.

1. CONCEPT NOTE ON
NATIONAL POPULATION REGISTER
(NPR)
Md. Alamgir Hossen1
What is National Population Register?
The National Population Register (NPR) is a system that continuously records of personal information of all usual
residents, including citizens and non-citizens residing on the territory of a country that meet the requirement for
registration as set out in the relevant legal framework of the country under which a comprehensive identity
database to be maintained by the competent authority especially by the National Statistical Organization (OSCE-
ODIHR, 2012). The register database contains the basic identical and demographic information along with
biometric signs of the residents of the country. It can be treated as the information hub connected with different
citizen service delivery initiatives to render.
Information consists in NPR
The data stored in the Population Register are registered in a unique, uniform and transparent way, based on
documentary evidence certifying vital life events. The register is used as a single reference point for a government
contract, for the exchange of personal contact data, identifications and for the collection of statistics. The NPR
database consisting of personal information along with socioeconomic information and biometric data (UNSD,
2013).
Personal Information includes Name, Parent’s name, Spouse’s/s name and their NID and Contact Numbers,
Relationship with Household members, Nationality, Education, Occupation, Sex, Religion, Date of birth, Marital
status, Place of birth, Present and permanent address with Geo-Codes, Duration of stay at the present address etc.
The socioeconomic information includes Type of household, Water supply, sanitation and hygiene, wealth index,
utility facilities available, economic activities, land ownership and use of land, income, savings, health status and
history, etc.
The biometric information incorporates the photograph, iris, fingerprint, Signature, face recognition algorithm etc.
Global Practices of NPR
Population registers have a very long history in the global context (Bilsborrow, Graeme, Oberai, & Zlotnik, 1997). The
earliest known registers operated in China (over 2000 years ago) and Japan. In Europe, Finland and Sweden are
the pioneer of population register where it has been started during the seventeenth century. At the start of the
twentieth century, the mental process of population registration was being acquitted in 15 countries reported by
the United Nations in 1969. During the 1960s, total 65 countries reported to the UN that they are maintaining
population registers, among whom only 35 countries produced statistical information from the register.
1 Md. Alamgir Hossen, Deputy Director, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). Email: alamgir.hossen@bbs.gov.bd

2. Alamgir
October 16, 2015 Page 2
Now a days, Population Register is still very common in Europe than in other region. Austria, Belgium, Denmark,
Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland
maintain high quality National Population Registers to produce statistical data. In Asia, Population Register is
maintained in Japan and Republic of Korea. The Government of India has initiated the creation of this NPR
database, by collecting specific information of all usual residents in the country during the House listing and Housing
Census phase of Census 2011 (Office of the Registrar General and Census Census Commissioner India, 2011). In
Pakistan, The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Pakistan regulates government databases
and statistically manages the sensitive registration database of all the national citizens of Pakistan which is claimed
as the largest biometric database of citizens in the world (NADRA, 2015).
NPR in Bangladesh
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) is planning to develop a National Population Register (NPR) followed by
National Household Database (NHD). It is meant to create a comprehensive identity database in the country,
which would help in better targeting of the benefits and services under the government schemes and
programmes. The register will be used as a single reference point for a government contact, for the exchange of
personal contact data, identifications and for the collection of statistics.
BBS has a strong legal mandate to prepare and maintain the NPR. The Statistics Act, 2013 assigned Bangladesh
Bureau of Statistics to prepare and regular update of the National Population Register (Government of Bangladesh,
2013). In addition, the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) which has been approved by the
cabinet in 2013 also consists a strategic goal (Strategic Goal-2) under Census Wing to develop NPR. Under the
implementation of goal NPR will be prepared and will be integrated with the Civil Registration System (BBS, 2013).
Part of the initiative BBS is already implementing the National Household Database Project to prepare a database
which will be used as the baseline dataset for regular update of the NPR.
Objective of NPR in Bangladesh
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics as the NSO of the country will shoulder all the activities to develop the entire
infrastructure of NPR. At the initial stage to service delivery stage BBS will be responsible for every matter of NPR.
Before expanding BBS set up to union level local government agencies will support regular activity at the point of
service delivery.
As the preparation of NPR involves house-to-house
enumeration, this shall be undertaken after development
of the National Household Database.
Methodology
This NPR will touch each and every resident of Bangladesh
and has the potential to improve the lives of hundreds of
millions of people at a rate and pace that we have not
achieved in the past. It will provide us with a platform that
will change the way government services are delivered-
forever. The challenges of this NPR are many, which also
include quality of data, scalability, governance,
eliminating duplicates, privacy, security and policies.
Broadly these challenges can be grouped in four broad
groups and they are: data handling, governance,
scalability and security.
NPR
Labour
Police
Service
s
Educati
on
Birth
Registr
a-tion
Health
Voter
ID Card
License
s
Social
Safety
Nets
Loans
Taxes &
VAT
Legal
Service
s
Immigr
a-
tions

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October 16, 2015 Page 3
NPR data Collection
NPR data
processing
using
multimodal
technology
Database
printing for
cheking and
editing by
each citizen
Check for
deduplicatio
n using bio-
metric data
and assign
and ID
Vetting with
other citizens'
database
Biometric
data
collection
and editing
of database
information
Build Service
delivary
framework
NPR Database
ready for Service
delivery and
authentication
Implementation of NPR
The NPR forms will be scanned and data will be entered. After that, the data will be resend into the field for the
existence of such a data base along the length and breadth of the country will impart a new direction to
the overall governance by not only better targeting of the benefits and services under the government
schemes/programmes, but also by better planning. This will also enhance the security of the country, better
service for the social safety net beneficiaries, tax payers etc. The NPR will be the checking and collection of bio-
metric data. Then the project will undertake biometrics based de-duplication and assign ID numbers to each
resident. The cleaned database along with the ID number will form the final NPR database.
Finally a smart card will provide to all citizens for their regular use, which bear all personal information of the
respective person.
Basically, core activities of this NPR are:
 Centre of citizens’ service delivery
 Central authentication system
 Tracking all delivered services to each citizen of the country
The proposed technology will be used for building NPR
The BBS will create machine readable forms for processing data using the ICR (Intelligent Character Recognition)
technology. In addition, data collection by using a smart phone or tablet will be used for some selected area on
pilot basis. Online web application will be developed linked with central database through which collected data
can be entered from the field level, especially from the Union Digital Center. The application will incorporate the
validation and monitoring system so that duplication and false information can be controlled.
Local kiosk/resource centre will be set up for biometric data collection
Setting up a local kiosk or resource centre will ensure highest quality of data through controlled light condition,
head size, background and IRIS data. The Kiosk will have the following facilities:
 IRIS capture (Both eyes)
 Picture and facial biometric data
 Fingerprint reader (10 finger)

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October 16, 2015 Page 4
 Laptop
 Wireless data connectivity
 Other ICT equipment
NPR Operation Modules
The NPR operation will have four modules. They are:
1. NPR building
a. Data collection
b. Data processing and translation
c. Data checking & editing
d. Bio- Metric data collection
2. Data vetting
a. De-duplication checking by bio-metric data
b. GR Database
c. Birth registration Database
d. National ID database
e. Education database
3. Unified Identification
4. Service delivery platform

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October 16, 2015 Page 5
Proposed project phasing
Phase one
•Data collection and processing using NPR form
•Data collection and processing using Smart/tablet
phones
Phase two
•Data checking and bio-metric data collection
•Data vetting with other government databases
•Service delivery design and implementations
•Unified Identifications

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October 16, 2015 Page 6
REFERENCES
BBS. (2013). National Strategy for the Development of Statistics. Retrieved from Statistics and Informatics Division:
http://sid.portal.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/sid.portal.gov.bd/policies/367eaa0a_94a4_43a9_9a28_a6ebf30082f6/NSD
S%20_FInal13.pdf
Bilsborrow, R. E., Graeme, H., Oberai, A. S., & Zlotnik, H. (1997). International Migration Statistics: Guidelines for Improving Data
Collection Systems. Geneva: International Labour Organization. Retrieved October 16, 2015, from
https://books.google.com.bd/books?id=h7Pe-
OaViAEC&pg=PA79&lpg=PA79&dq=countries+having+National+Population+Registers&source=bl&ots=mq92nxVIPI&sig=
GE8aUXsZXO3zcK07SeVIfvT2FcE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CD0Q6AEwBmoVChMIjdCZvZ7FyAIVBgWOCh2P7wCo#v=onepage
&q=countries%20
Government of Bangladesh. (2013, March 03). Statistical Act, 2013. Retrieved from Ministry of Law:
http://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/bangla_all_sections.php?id=1112
NADRA. (2015). Profile. Retrieved from National Database & Registration Authority: https://www.nadra.gov.pk/index.php/about-
us/profile#Achievements
Office of the Registrar General and Census Census Commissioner India. (2011). National Population Register . Retrieved from
Census India: http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011-Common/IntroductionToNpr.html
OSCE-ODIHR. (2012, July). Assessment on the Prospects for the Establishment of Population Register. Retrieved from OSCE:
http://www.osce.org/odihr/92337?download=true
UNSD. (2013). Population registers- Introduction, Statistics, Standards and methods. Retrieved from United Nations Statistical
Division: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/sources/popreg/popregmethods.htm