Lottery system planned for Dhaka sub-registrar postings: Asaduzzaman

The government is planning to introduce a lottery system for posting sub-registrars in Dhaka, said Law Minister Asaduzzaman on Saturday.

He said this while inaugurating a workshop on the use of online software for marriage and divorce registration at the BRAC Learning Centre in the capital.

The minister also said the government plans to digitise marriage and divorce registration records and gradually link the information with citizens’ National Identity (NID) cards and passports.

Once the system is centrally integrated, information related to an individual would be accessible through a single platform, he said.

According to Asaduzzaman, online marriage records could help prevent child marriage and polygamy. If someone attempts to register another marriage at a different location after concealing an existing marriage, officials would be able to access the previous record through the online system.

The system could also help resolve disputes over inheritance and family status, he said. If multiple claims are made by wives or children following a person's death, registered marriage records could help establish the relevant facts and reduce the scope for litigation and additional pressure on the state.

The minister said the system would also benefit Bangladeshis travelling or living abroad. If a person seeks to take a spouse overseas, authorities in the destination country could potentially verify the marriage information online, making it easier to establish the person's legally registered spouse.

Asaduzzaman also cited an alleged incident involving a police verification process to highlight the need for greater digitisation. He said a sub-inspector at Naria Police Station in Shariatpur had allegedly demanded Tk 2,200 and later Tk 2,000 from a person seeking police verification for travel abroad, with the matter eventually settled for Tk 700.

He said greater digitisation and integration of government databases could help reduce irregularities in such processes.