DHAKA: The weeklong program of third Slum Census 2014 and counting of floating people is underway from April 25 next to figure out the number of slums, households in the slums and overall slum population in the country.

The census was scheduled to be conducted in two phases in cities, towns and metropolitans, and 11-team is working in capital to collect the information of the census, he added.

In the first phase of the census of floating population was held in the areas from 12:01am to 6:00am Friday. The census was covered bus stands, rail stations, and parks.

The second phase of census of the slum areas started at 6:00am Friday and will continue till May 2.

Director-General of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) Golam Mostofa Kamal inaugurated the program of counting floating people at Kawran Bazaar underpass area at just one minute-past zero hour.

The counting program was also conducted at capital’s Kamlapur, Tejgaon Railway slum, Mohakhali inter district bus terminal area.

Joint Director of the bureau Ziauddin Ahmed is monitoring the census.

He said that the counting of the floating people will continue the whole night. There are around 6,000 officials, 1100 Supervisors under 380 Zonal Officers are conducting the census.

BBS sources said that the major objectives of the Slum Census 2014 are to number the total population of the slums in respect of their age and gender; determining the socio-economic conditions of the slum dwellers as well as their demographic characteristics; identifying the basic and major reasons of their living in slums; determining how many people come to the slums from which district; collecting data on landlessness of the slum dwellers; collecting other related information about the accommodation of the slum dwellers alongside collecting education, profession and environment related information of the slum dwellers.

Among the special features of the Slum Census, digitized GIS map will be used while computer–based database will be built after determining the overall number of slum population in respect of the number of slums, households, age and gender. The database of the slum dwellers will also be archived.

The report of the Census will be published in December this year, BBS sources added.

BDST: 0840 HRS, APR 25, 2014