Government to Grant Full Autonomy to BBS: Amir Khasru

Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has said the government is granting full autonomy to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) to ensure the reliability and transparency of official data. He said any government that manipulates data is effectively deceiving itself, as effective planning and implementation are impossible without accurate information. Data is not the exclusive property of any government; it belongs to the people.

He made the remarks as the chief guest at an event marking BBS Day, held at the BBS auditorium on Sunday.

Amir Khasru said data is the government's most important asset. Without reliable information, no government can formulate and implement sound plans. For this reason, the government is prioritising the reliability, transparency, accessibility and measurability of statistical information.

He said the government had taken necessary decisions to strengthen the BBS and was already implementing them. The government had also taken note of the bureau's staff shortage. Some additional personnel had already been provided, and more would be appointed in the future.

The finance and planning minister said political democratisation would not be effective without the democratisation of the economy. To that end, the activities of the statistics bureau must become more people-oriented. The credibility, reliability and transparency of data must be ensured so that the public has no reason to question it.

Highlighting the importance of information, he said data is the most important asset on a government's balance sheet. A government without reliable data has limited scope to move forward. Ensuring accurate information must be the first step towards making government programmes successful.

Regarding forensic audits, Amir Khasru said their purpose was not simply to find fault with previous governments. Rather, the objective was to examine problems in depth, identify their root causes and begin the process of finding solutions.

He also stressed the need to make more information publicly accessible. Greater transparency would encourage more public feedback and opinions, helping identify mistakes and make necessary corrections. Access to data must be ensured for researchers, policymakers and ordinary citizens alike.

Emphasising the importance of digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence (AI), the minister said developing digital infrastructure was essential to ensuring the effective use of data. Without it, implementing data management policies would not be possible. Digital infrastructure and AI would play an important role in the future progress of both the government and citizens.

Referring to the ‘One Citizen, One Wallet, One Card’ initiative, he said such programmes require reliable data. Without transparency, it would be difficult to ensure their effectiveness.

Concluding his remarks, the minister said the government could formulate policies and launch initiatives, but their implementation depended on collective efforts. He urged all concerned to work together to make the BBS data system more reliable and transparent.