Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has formed a committee to investigate an allegation brought against it for issuing birth certificates to a number of Rohingya children.
Allegations are that at least two birth certificates were issued from the corporation’s Zone 2.
On February 19, Registrar General of Birth and Death sent a letter to the chief health officer of DSCC, asking that a probe body is formed to investigate the allegation.
“We have sent a letter to the DSCC following the allegation. An investigation is underway,” Md Mahbub-ul Alam, deputy registrar general (joint secretary) of the office of Registrar General, Birth and Death, said.
“We have also included a programmer in the probe committee as it is a technical matter. Time will be needed to finish the probe”, he added.
DSCC Chief Health Officer Brig Gen Dr Sheikh Salahuddin said they had received the letter.
“A member of the committee has been added on behalf of the registrar general’s office. The investigation is assessing all information,” he said.
According to the letter, the Cox’s Bazar district administration brought the allegation of issuance of the fake birth certificates.
Two Rohingyas collected birth certificates from the DSCC, mentioning Cox’s Bazar as their permanent address, and Dhaka as their present address.
Assessing the birth certificates, it was found that the last six digits of the two birth registration numbers are the same. Both the certificates were written in the same book and on the same page. However, two certificates on the same page cannot have similar serial numbers.
The area code of Cox’s Bazar’s Badarkhali was also mentioned in the certificates.
The same location was listed as the present address in both the certificates.