The Bangladesh parliament Tuesday passed a bill that makes it mandatory to register all births or deaths in the country.

The act, however, will come into effect on the date the government issues a gazette notification.

Local Government Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan piloted the bill that was passed by a voice vote.

As soon as the act comes into effect, birth certificates will have to be shown as proof of age for obtaining passports, registering marriages and admission into educational institutions.

The certificates will be needed for appointment to government, private or autonomous bodies, obtaining a driving license, getting registered as a voter and for land registration.

Parents or guardians will have to register the birth of a child within 45 days and for a death, the registration will have to be done in 30 days.

A large number of births and deaths in Bangladesh go unregistered, giving wide scope for manipulation of birth certificates, said a government official.

Now the government will have the provision to punish any one who fails to register any birth or death, he said.

--Indo-Asian News Service