Who puts the thorn in the citizen’s flesh? Sources underlying administrative burden in a developing country

ABSTRACT This article identifies and analyses sources of administrative burden in the context of developing countries. We explore the case of Bangladesh’s online birth registration system, which has been causing inconveniences for its citizens. By employing qualitative research techniques such as netnography, interviews, and newspaper text analysis, this study analyses and identifies sources causing administrative burden in Bangladesh, and categorises them into two broad groups: state-generated (e.g., strict screening policy, partial digitalisation, redundant documentation, mistakes and correction hassles, and corruption) and citizen-generated problems (e.g., delay in submitting a certificate and broker dependency). When these two sources are acute, they can impose “deprivation costs” on citizens.