Adviser to the Prime Minister on the ministries of Finance and Planning Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir on Sunday said the government has undertaken major reforms in the country’s statistical system to ensure reliable, international-standard and easily accessible data for policymaking, research and public service delivery.
“Over the past 17 years, we have observed instances where statistics were used in ways that did not accurately reflect the actual situation. Our objective is to move towards a system where data are collected scientifically and reflect the reality,” he said.
The adviser made the remarks while addressing a discussion as the special guest marking National Statistics Day 2026 at the BBS Auditorium in Dhaka.
The Statistics and Informatics Division and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) jointly organised the program under the theme “Reliable and Accessible Statistics – the Foundation of Sustainable Development and Planning”.
Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury spoke at the program as the chief guest.
Political Adviser to the Prime Minister and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Planning Ministry, Zahir Uddin Swapon, and State Minister for Planning Md Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki also spoke as special guests.
Secretary of the Statistics and Informatics Division Md Firoz Sarker chaired the program.
BBS Director General Md Shamimul Haque delivered the welcome address, while BBS Director Kabir Uddin Ahmed made a presentation on the modernisation of the national statistical system and its future plans.
Professor Dr Syed Shahadat Hossain of Dhaka University and President of the Bangladesh Statistical Association (BSA), and BIDS Director General Dr A K Enamul Haque participated in the discussion.
The adviser said the government had identified three major areas of reform: ensuring quality and internationally standardised statistics, strengthening evidence-based public policy and service delivery, and making official data easily accessible through an open data policy.
Explaining the importance of quality statistics, Titumir said Bangladesh needed to follow internationally recognised statistical standards to ensure its data were reliable and comparable to those of other countries.
“We are working to establish standardised statistics based on scientific methods. We have reviewed past data and identified areas where inconsistencies and gaps existed,” he said.
Referring to the review of major economic indicators, including gross domestic product (GDP), he said the government wanted to ensure that statistical information accurately reflected the country’s economic situation.
He also stressed the need to improve field-level data collection through modern technologies, including geospatial information and computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI), to verify the location of enumerators and improve the accuracy of household information.
“Statistics should be collected, not manufactured,” he said, emphasising the importance of maintaining transparency and methodological accuracy in data production.
Citing an example of discrepancies in official statistics in the past, he said the reported number of engine-driven boats was around 13,000, while the actual number stood at approximately 267,000.
Titumir said the second major area of reform focused on ensuring evidence-based public policymaking and effective delivery of public services.
He said shortcomings in beneficiary selection under social safety net programs, particularly inclusion and exclusion errors, had affected the distribution of limited public resources.
“We are introducing scientific methods, including the Proxy Means Test, to ensure that people who genuinely deserve government assistance receive it,” he said.
Referring to the Family Card program, he said the government wanted to establish a scientifically designed selection process to ensure that eligible women received the benefits.
He also said the government was working to establish a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to facilitate interoperability among different government databases and registries.
The initiative would help connect databases such as the population register, birth and death registration records and the National Identity (NID) database, allowing government agencies to exchange information more effectively, he added.
Regarding the third reform area, Titumir said the government planned to introduce an open data policy through consultations with relevant stakeholders.
“We want to make statistics easily accessible so that researchers, universities and institutions at home and abroad can use reliable data for research and policymaking,” he said.
He noted that wider access to official statistics would encourage academic research, improve the quality of universities and strengthen public accountability.
The adviser also highlighted the importance of reliable national data in addressing misinformation and inaccurate representations of Bangladesh’s economic and social conditions.
He said the absence of accessible and credible national data could create opportunities for different interpretations of the country’s development and economic performance.
Titumir said the reforms reflected the government’s commitment to strengthening accountability and improving the quality of public institutions.
Acknowledging the challenges involved in transforming the statistical system, he thanked officials and employees of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and the Statistics and Informatics Division for their continued efforts.
He also thanked the Finance and Planning Minister and the State Minister concerned for their support in advancing the reform initiatives.
Titumir also expressed the hope that the ongoing efforts would help establish a reliable, internationally accepted and easily accessible statistical system in Bangladesh.
