DOT Desk: The government yesterday submitted a report to the High Court, saying that a total of 34,56,757 street children were given birth certificates without their parents’ birth registration information from July 22 to November 21 this year, as there is no legal bar to issue certificates to the children.
The registrar general’s office under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives placed the report to the HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo through the attorney general’s office, in compliance with its directive issued on June 30 this year.
Yesterday, the HC bench fixed January 11 next year for further hearing and passing order on the issue.
In the report, the registrar general’s office said birth and death registrations have been made compulsory for all citizens irrespective of caste, creed, religion, community and gender, under section 5(1) of the Birth and Death Registration Act, 2004.
On June 30, the HC directed the government to submit a report on the steps taken to issue birth certificates to all street children.
The court also issued a rule asking the government to explain why its inaction to give birth certificates to all street children should not be declared illegal, and why it should not be directed to provide them with the certificates under the relevant rules.