Data hegemony, delayed analysis slowing recovery from Covid-19 for Bangladesh
The pandemic has pushed many back into extreme poverty Rajib Dhar
Meraj Mavis
Publish : 12 Dec 2021, 09:39 PMUpdate : 12 Dec 2021, 09:53 PM
Lack of research by state agencies and ignoring private research data are becoming major hurdles to emerging from Covid-19 and formulating proper plans for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Bangladesh, experts said on Sunday.
At the same time, economists and researchers believe that if the data is not collected in real-time or is collected after two to five years of the actual event, then the analyses of the effects of Covid-19 on macroeconomics variables will not portray the true picture.
They made the observations in working papers and presentations based on those at a two-day seminar, titled “Bangladesh Emerging from the Pandemic: Coping Experiences and Policy Choices,” and organized by the Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh and the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
Hossain Zillur Rahman, chairperson of Brac and Executive Chairman of the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), co-chaired the first plenary session, titled “Macro-economic and Household Level Impact.”
“There were many good initiatives by the government during the Covid-19 period along with the various stimulus packages, but to understand the implications of those policies, we need proper data as plans based on inaccurate information may not produce accurate results,” he said
So, even if the government wanted to, the result of many of those good initiatives did not reach the household level, Rahman added.
“Again, due to the lack of accurate information and data by many state agencies, the government is facing various problems even at this time of Covid-19; the people are actually suffering the damaging effects of this,” he further said.
It would be almost impossible to judge the exact situation by collecting this data after two or five years, the Brac chairperson said, adding that data held by government agencies in a “hegemony” should be made more accessible so that everyone can use it.
Various government agencies like the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) are failing to provide accurate data at the right time, speakers also said at the event.
There is no official account of the number of new poor, they said, adding that even though various organizations have published data, yet the finance minister himself is not willing to accept it.
CPD Distinguished Fellow Mustafizur Rahman, another co-chair of the session, suggested the government collaborate with private research organizations, accepting that data collection and methodology could be questioned.
“The government can work with think tanks to address this issue,” he said.
The first paper presented at the sessions was titled “Covid-19 and Bangladesh: Macroeconomic Impact and Policy Choices,” which was presented by Towfiqul Islam Khan, senior research fellow at CPD.
In his paper, he said that the government institutions could conduct real-time research because of Covid-19.
But the data that is there, has been withheld from the public, he noted, adding: “Data on GDP growth, private investment, public investment, implementation rate of public expenditure, were available in FY20, but are not available in FY21.”
The second paper, titled “Marginalized Communities in Bangladesh Dealing with the Fallout from the Pandemic: Findings from a Household Survey,” was presented by Estiaque Bari, senior lecturer at the Department of Economics of East West University.
"We have seen that due to a lack of data, many of the plans of the Covid-19 stimulus packages could not be implemented by the government. For example, the government could not provide direct Tk2,500 assistance to 5 million households,” he said.
However, Bari noted, a survey found that 7.8% of households have been affected by the coronavirus.
“Of these, 18.7% of households experienced a direct decline in income, while about 20% of households have had to break down their savings,” he said.
In his speech, Selim Raihan, economics professor at Dhaka University and executive director of SANEM, said: “There is no chance of increasing the fiscal space overnight. Therefore, it is necessary to know the correct calculation of the issues inside the country and ensure its proper use. And that has to be done in real-time.
“So, if you want, BBS can sit with the organizations that have done our research. Because now it is difficult to analyze the impact of each lockdown by conducting a survey,” he added.
Subhra Bhattacharjee, strategic planner and head of the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh, also spoke at the conference.
Data hegemony, delayed analysis slowing recovery from Covid-19 for Bangladesh
Lack of research by state agencies and ignoring private research data are becoming major hurdles to emerging from Covid-19 and formulating proper plans for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Bangladesh, experts said on Sunday.
At the same time, economists and researchers believe that if the data is not collected in real-time or is collected after two to five years of the actual event, then the analyses of the effects of Covid-19 on macroeconomics variables will not portray the true picture.
They made the observations in working papers and presentations based on those at a two-day seminar, titled “Bangladesh Emerging from the Pandemic: Coping Experiences and Policy Choices,” and organized by the Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh and the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
Hossain Zillur Rahman, chairperson of Brac and Executive Chairman of the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), co-chaired the first plenary session, titled “Macro-economic and Household Level Impact.”
“There were many good initiatives by the government during the Covid-19 period along with the various stimulus packages, but to understand the implications of those policies, we need proper data as plans based on inaccurate information may not produce accurate results,” he said
So, even if the government wanted to, the result of many of those good initiatives did not reach the household level, Rahman added.
“Again, due to the lack of accurate information and data by many state agencies, the government is facing various problems even at this time of Covid-19; the people are actually suffering the damaging effects of this,” he further said.
It would be almost impossible to judge the exact situation by collecting this data after two or five years, the Brac chairperson said, adding that data held by government agencies in a “hegemony” should be made more accessible so that everyone can use it.
Various government agencies like the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) are failing to provide accurate data at the right time, speakers also said at the event.
There is no official account of the number of new poor, they said, adding that even though various organizations have published data, yet the finance minister himself is not willing to accept it.
CPD Distinguished Fellow Mustafizur Rahman, another co-chair of the session, suggested the government collaborate with private research organizations, accepting that data collection and methodology could be questioned.
“The government can work with think tanks to address this issue,” he said.
The first paper presented at the sessions was titled “Covid-19 and Bangladesh: Macroeconomic Impact and Policy Choices,” which was presented by Towfiqul Islam Khan, senior research fellow at CPD.
In his paper, he said that the government institutions could conduct real-time research because of Covid-19.
But the data that is there, has been withheld from the public, he noted, adding: “Data on GDP growth, private investment, public investment, implementation rate of public expenditure, were available in FY20, but are not available in FY21.”
The second paper, titled “Marginalized Communities in Bangladesh Dealing with the Fallout from the Pandemic: Findings from a Household Survey,” was presented by Estiaque Bari, senior lecturer at the Department of Economics of East West University.
"We have seen that due to a lack of data, many of the plans of the Covid-19 stimulus packages could not be implemented by the government. For example, the government could not provide direct Tk2,500 assistance to 5 million households,” he said.
However, Bari noted, a survey found that 7.8% of households have been affected by the coronavirus.
“Of these, 18.7% of households experienced a direct decline in income, while about 20% of households have had to break down their savings,” he said.
In his speech, Selim Raihan, economics professor at Dhaka University and executive director of SANEM, said: “There is no chance of increasing the fiscal space overnight. Therefore, it is necessary to know the correct calculation of the issues inside the country and ensure its proper use. And that has to be done in real-time.
“So, if you want, BBS can sit with the organizations that have done our research. Because now it is difficult to analyze the impact of each lockdown by conducting a survey,” he added.
Subhra Bhattacharjee, strategic planner and head of the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh, also spoke at the conference.
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