How We Review and Research Our Guides

People use our guides to prepare for real tasks: registering for a vaccine, downloading a certificate before a flight, correcting a name that does not match a passport, or catching up on a child's missed dose. This page explains, step by step, how we research each guide, how we check it, and how we keep it current. It also explains the limits of what an independent website can know.

Our source hierarchy

Not all sources are equal. We rank them and rely on the highest available level for every claim:

• Level 1, official Bangladesh sources: the official portal at surokkha.gov.bd and the Directorate General of Health Services at dghs.gov.bd, including their published notices and guidance.
• Level 2, international health authorities: the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and for travel health the CDC's travel health information for Bangladesh.
• Level 3, other official bodies: embassies, airlines and destination-country authorities, used only for what they say about their own requirements.
• Level 4, supporting context: reputable news reporting and peer-reviewed research, used to understand context but not as the sole basis for a process step.

We do not use social media posts, forums, video tutorials from unknown sources or other unofficial guide sites as evidence. They can tell us what people are confused about, which helps us choose topics, but they are not a basis for facts. Our sources and references policy gives more detail.

Step 1: Understanding the question

Each guide begins with the questions readers actually have. We look at common searches, messages sent to hello@surokkha.app, and the kinds of questions our lead writer has heard during years of community health work. We then define what the guide must answer and what is out of scope.

Step 2: Checking the official process

Where possible, we read the official portal's public pages, instructions and notices to understand how a process is described there. We look at what information a process asks for and what it is designed to produce.

We never enter real personal data into official systems for research. We do not submit anyone's National ID, birth registration or passport number, phone number or one-time password, and we never ask readers to share theirs with us. This means there are some screens and messages we cannot see, and we say so in our guides rather than guessing.

Step 3: Comparing with national and international guidance

For health content, we compare what we find with DGHS publications and with WHO and UNICEF guidance, such as WHO's summary of routine immunization recommendations. For travel topics, we check public guidance from CDC travel health and remind readers that each destination, airline and employer sets its own rules.

Step 4: Writing in plain English

Our lead writer, Nusrat Jahan, drafts the guide. She describes processes in general terms, explains why each step matters, and flags anything that may vary from person to person or may have changed. Each article includes key takeaways, a short FAQ and a list of sources.

Step 5: Fact-check by our health content editor

Every guide is then fact-checked by our health content editor, Arif Hossain. He checks each health and process statement against the cited official and authoritative sources, confirms that the guide uses cautious wording, and makes sure it does not read as individual medical advice. Checked guides carry a "Fact-checked by Arif Hossain, Health Content Editor" line. Our guides are not reviewed by a medical professional. We plan to add a qualified clinical reviewer in future, but until then readers should confirm any health decision with a qualified doctor or health worker.

Step 6: Fact-check and publication

Before publication, each factual claim is checked against the cited source, every link is tested, and any figures, dates or fees are removed unless they are well established and sourced. The guide is then published with its "Last reviewed" date. Our fact-checking policy covers this stage in detail.

What the "Last reviewed" date means

The "Last reviewed" date shows when the guide was last checked in full against its sources. It does not guarantee that nothing has changed since. Official processes can change at any time, so please confirm the current steps on the official portal before you act.

Our review cycle

We re-review every guide at least once every six months. We review sooner when:

• The official portal or DGHS publishes a notice or changes how a process is described.
• WHO, UNICEF or national authorities update vaccine recommendations.
• A reader reports that a step, link or detail no longer matches what they see.
• A link we cite stops working or moves to a new address.

Limitations

We are an independent website. We cannot see inside the official system, check anyone's record or know why a particular application has a problem. Processes can change without notice, and different offices may handle the same request in slightly different ways. Our guides are a starting point for understanding, not a replacement for the official portal, your local health office or a qualified health professional. Please read our disclaimer and editorial policy.