Seven reforms proposed to overhaul BBS governance, operations

Report says BBS’s independence is “weakened by reliance on non-professional staff”

A government taskforce has proposed seven priority recommendations to reform the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, focusing on greater operational and financial autonomy for the national data agency.

The taskforce also recommended appointing a professional to lead the bureau instead of an administration cadre officer, according to its final report published on Monday.

The report notes that BBS’s independence is being “undermined by reliance on non-professional staff and uncertain funding”.

It highlights that bureaucratic mechanisms currently govern the bureau, and recommends establishing a “well-planned senior oversight body”.

The taskforce pointed out “challenges” in career progression for existing officers, suggesting promotions based on merit for professional staff.

It proposed that the head of the BBS should be a professional, with a higher pay grade than currently offered to administration cadre officers who are appointed.

The report also recommends creating units for additional data collection, processing, dissemination, and IT.

It says, “The BBS suffers from both inadequate funding and opaque utilisation,” and suggests securing funds from foreign partner agencies for special surveys.

The taskforce urged the BBS to publish data independently without “political interference” and to periodically review its metadata and research methodologies.

The report was submitted to Advisor Wahiduddin Mahmud in the Ministry of Planning in mid-September, with the full report made public on Monday.