Provide latest, correct information in time
Planning minister directs BBS
Planning Minister AK Khandker yesterday asked officials and employees of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) to act with more responsibility in releasing data and information in time.
He said, “Latest and correct statistics is indispensable for formulating development plans.
It is expected that the agencies involved in collecting data will present accurate statistics before the nation where the bureau has a great role to play.”
The planning minister was addressing as the chief guest at an inaugural session of a day-long seminar titled “Statistics for all” at the auditorium of the East West University in the city in observance of the World Statistics Day.
The day was observed in the country on Wednesday as elsewhere in the world.
Statistics Division Secretary Riti Ibrahim was the special guest at the seminar, organised jointly by Bangladesh Statistical Association (BSA) and East West University.
Urging to avoid duplication in data collection and dissemination, Khandker emphasised using information technology for sharing information.
He also called for making statistics education system in the country modern, functional and IT-based, with a special role to be played by the statistics departments of the universities.
Khandker informed that the process is underway to increase the manpower of BBS as well as bring modifications, to strengthen the bureau.
Former Bangladesh Bank governor Dr Mohammad Farashuddin, also president of the Board of Trustees of East West University, alleged that BBS lacks credibility.
He quoted a BBS survey that says there are only 3.3 million jobless people in the country. “This is not acceptable,” he said.
Farashuddin said BBS included individuals who worked at least one hour a week to identify the working population.
“There is a need to clearly clarify the definition of any topic,” he said.
Secretry Riti said the syllabus of the universities on statistics should be changed, giving more priority on practical statistics.
She informed that BBS would extend its cooperation if any university wished to share their studies, surveys or data.
Underscoring the importance of the next Housing and Population Census next March, Riti said digital mapping would be extensively used in the census to accomplish the task accurately.
Besides, the period of training for the enumerators has been extended to three days from the previous one day, she added.
Chaired by BSA President Prof M Nurul Islam, its Secretary General Abdur Rashid Sikder gave the welcome address while its Vice President Prof M Mujibur Rahman gave the vote of thanks.
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