When artificial intelligence is transforming the way official statistics are produced, the state-run statistics bureau still gathers around 60 percent of its data through old, paper-based methods.

This reliance on manual data collection has often led the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) facing questions about its credibility, according to top BBS officials. 

Apart from concerns over data accuracy, the outdated system causes several setbacks.

For example, paper-based methods delay the release of agricultural output data, which is important for food security; limit policy response to rising unemployment; and leave room for political quarters to meddle in. 

The "White Paper on the State of the Bangladesh Economy", prepared by a group of economists after the fall of the previous government, described the country's data ecosystem as "highly foggy and toxic". It also called for rejuvenating the data ecosystem.

In response, the interim government has introduced several reform measures to modernise the statistical agency, said BBS Director General Mohammed Mizanur Rahman. He said the benefits would become evident once the initiatives were fully implemented in the coming years. 

Against this backdrop, Bangladesh is observing World Statistics Day today. 

Explaining the slow transition from paper-based to digital systems, BBS DG Rahman cited budget constraints and sluggish institutional reforms. 

He said BBS has begun using computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) for some surveys through tablets, but has yet to expand the system nationwide.

"We are implementing a project with World Bank support that will gradually bring all major surveys under digital platforms," he added. 

The DG said plans are also underway to build a "Big Data Platform" to reduce dependence on field surveys and make better use of administrative data from other agencies.

However, Rahman admitted that interoperability and data-sharing standards between departments are still underdeveloped. 

"If we could access administrative data from health, education, and other sectors, we would not need to repeat so many surveys," he said. 

To strengthen the statistical agency's independence and improve quality, the government has formed a taskforce headed by former caretaker government adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman.

The committee has already submitted its report, recommending reforms to make BBS a more dynamic and autonomous body, Rahman said. 

He said BBS has also set up multi-stakeholder expert committees for each of its six statistical wings to enhance transparency. Once the new system is in place, survey results will no longer require ministerial approval, he added. 

Meanwhile, former BBS director general Mohammad Abul Wazed expressed concern over persistent delays in releasing data, especially in agriculture. 

He called for a fixed release calendar for all statistical outputs.

"If complex surveys like the Household Income and Expenditure Survey can be published within three months, agricultural data should meet similar timelines," Wazed said. 

He also identified staffing shortages as a major challenge, with only half of BBS's posts currently filled. The lack of manpower, he said, undermines supervision and weakens data integrity. 

"Reliable statistics are the backbone of good governance," he said. "Without timely and credible data, policy failures are inevitable." 

Selim Raihan, executive director of the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (Sanem), said Bangladesh must go beyond policy tweaks to make national data genuinely dependable. 

Raihan, who was among the economists on the white paper committee, argued that BBS needs legal and operational autonomy similar to that of central banks.

Such independence, he said, would shield the agency from political influence while ensuring accountability through transparency. 

"Autonomy alone is not enough. BBS must also have the tools, skills, and resources to deliver credible data," Raihan said. 

The economist also called for a unified national data strategy built on an interoperable digital system linking BBS with all sectoral ministries in real time. Such a platform, he said, would help avoid duplication, promote consistency, and allow government bodies to "speak the same data language." 

Raihan also proposed a high-level data governance council under the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to set standards and resolve discrepancies. "Real-time access is not just about better software; it is about leadership and accountability," he said.