Official statistics underpin policymaking across almost every key sector of the country, including the economy, population, poverty, employment, inflation and industrial output. The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) is responsible for collecting, analysing and publishing these data.

But questions have long persisted over the credibility of the data released by the agency. Alongside controversies over calculations of GDP size and growth, inflation and other macroeconomic indicators, concerns remain about data collection methods, publication delays and a lack of institutional independence.

An independent task force formed during the tenure of the former interim government made twelve recommendations to improve the quality and transparency of official statistics, but they have yet to be implemented. Restoring public confidence in government statistics remains a challenge.

Today is National Statistics Day. But as government offices are closed for the Durga Puja festival, the official observance will take place in November.

Economists and researchers allege that during the ousted Awami League government’s tenure, some indicators, including GDP size and growth, were overstated to exaggerate the country’s economic progress. Questions were also raised over whether the actual impact of inflation during that period was adequately reflected in official statistics.

After the Sheikh Hasina government fell in August 2024, a committee formed by the interim government to prepare a white paper on the state of the economy highlighted concerns over the credibility of official statistics. Analysts believe these doubts persist because there has been no visible progress in addressing outdated calculation methods and structural limitations or reassessing disputed figures.

The crisis of confidence in BBS statistics has also featured in assessments by international organisations. In its January 2026 Data Adequacy Assessment report, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) gave Bangladesh’s national accounts, or GDP-related statistics, a ‘C’ rating, highlighting methodological limitations, the failure to update supply and use tables regularly, and delays in data publication.

Although Bangladesh’s inflation statistics received an overall ‘B’ rating, the country was given a ‘C’ rating for the coverage of those statistics. The IMF also noted weaknesses in the timeliness of Bangladesh’s government finance statistics.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, scored 71.6 out of 100 in the World Bank’s latest Statistical Performance Indicators (SPI). The index assesses the capacity of national statistical systems, data sources and availability and the use of data in policymaking. Several Asian countries scored higher than Bangladesh, including Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and India, indicating that Bangladesh still faces significant challenges in improving the quality and usability of official statistics.

A high-level task force formed during the tenure of the former interim government submitted a report containing 12 recommendations after reviewing the quality, transparency and availability of BBS statistics. The recommendations included establishing an independent statistics bureau, renaming the agency ‘Statistics Bangladesh’ or ‘StatBD’, forming a seven-member ‘Trust and Transparency Council of Statistics’ and amending the Statistics Act 2013.

The report also called for reforms in survey operations, data quality, open data access, accountability and the appointment process for the director general. But no effective steps were taken to implement the recommendations during the interim government’s tenure. Nor has there been any visible progress on the issue since the elected BNP government took office in February this year.

Dr Mohammad Mainul Islam, a member of the task force and a professor in the Department of Population Sciences at the University of Dhaka, told Bonik Barta, “We made 12 recommendations in the task force report. These covered how surveys should be conducted, establishing good governance, the selection process for appointing the director general, data quality, open access to information and accountability. The proposals were also broadly accepted, but they were ultimately not implemented.”

He added: “The task force’s recommendations need to be implemented as a priority to ensure the proper flow of information from the BBS and improve survey operations. The relevant authorities should explain why efforts to establish an independent and impartial statistical system have stalled.”

A key recommendation was to ensure the BBS’s institutional independence and appoint a professional statistician as its head. There is currently dissatisfaction among BBS officials over the practice of appointing the director general from the administration cadre. Several BBS officials, speaking to Bonik Barta on condition of anonymity, said bureaucratic complications had become a major obstacle to implementing the recommendations.

They said establishing an independent statistical system could have improved the credibility of data while reducing the risk of political and administrative interference.

Md Mizanur Rahman, a former director general of the BBS, told Bonik Barta, “The task force, comprising economists, former directors general of the statistics bureau and experts, submitted its final report. But no further work was done on the recommendations. These proposals could be used to improve the transparency and credibility of data.”

Dr Zahid Hussain, former lead economist at the World Bank’s Dhaka office, believes three factors underpin questions over the credibility of various statistics in Bangladesh: concerns over political interference, methodological limitations in data collection and calculations, and delays in publishing data.

He told Bonik Barta, “In the past, particularly between 2015 and 2019, allegations of political interference in BBS statistics were more frequent. In recent years, however, I haven’t seen any clear signs of political interference in GDP growth, inflation or other indicators. But given past experience, the possibility of such interference in the future can’t be entirely ruled out.”

According to Zahid Hussain, differences of opinion among experts over statistical methodologies do not, by themselves, constitute evidence of manipulation. But methodological weaknesses can undermine the quality and usability of data. The timeliness of statistics is also important. If it takes too long to publish GDP growth figures for a fiscal year, their practical value for policymaking and research diminishes.

For inflation statistics, detailed price data by product and by urban and rural areas should be made publicly available. Publishing a core inflation index would also provide a clearer picture, he said. Administrative practices that make data publication dependent on policymakers’ reactions must also be abandoned.

Users themselves remain sceptical about the credibility of BBS data. The agency’s own User Satisfaction Survey 2024 found that 33.16 percent of respondents did not consider inflation statistics reliable. The survey was conducted jointly by the BBS and the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).

According to the survey, 26 percent of respondents were sceptical about national accounts or GDP-related statistics, while 25.43 percent expressed doubts about income and poverty data. Some 29.92 percent questioned foreign trade statistics. More than 23 percent of respondents also expressed reservations about statistics on industry, labour and education.

The gap between official inflation figures and people’s experiences in the market is another source of scepticism. A decline in the inflation rate does not mean prices are falling; it means prices are rising more slowly. Nor is there any guarantee that the national average inflation rate will fully reflect market prices faced by a particular household or in a specific area. But easy access to detailed price data by product would make it easier to compare official figures with actual market conditions.

Md Shamimul Haque, director general of the BBS, told Bonik Barta that the bureau followed internationally recognised United Nations methodologies for data collection. “To publish the Consumer Price Index (CPI), we consider different varieties of 749 goods and services. Data are collected from 154 markets across 64 districts and six city corporations, as well as in Dhaka and Chattogram. Information is collected from 462 samples. The types of products available and their availability may vary from market to market,” he said.

He said: “We publish statistics based on the data we receive. To provide more realistic figures, we’ve formed a technical committee comprising economists, statisticians and representatives of research organisations. The committee will work on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and related consumer price data. Our main goal is to collect accurate and realistic data from all areas, make the information accessible, and publish credible and accurate statistics.”

In 2025, the then interim government decided to observe National Statistics Day every year on October 20, in line with World Statistics Day. Bangladesh had previously observed the day on February 27. World Statistics Day is celebrated every five years, with the next observance scheduled for 2030.

Many believe, however, that a gap remains between the theme of the day and realities on the ground. Relevant stakeholders say it is essential to address methodological limitations in data collection, publish detailed datasets and establish mechanisms for independent verification.

Asked what steps the current government was taking to ensure transparency and credibility in BBS data, State Minister for Planning Md Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki told Bonik Barta, “The government is working to make official data more accurate and credible. Initiatives are underway to make the methodologies for publishing the Consumer Price Index, price and wage indices and GDP more realistic. Work is also underway to publish reports on these indicators and statistics and keep information on the relevant processes and progress up to date. But the necessary preparations and procedures must be completed before these initiatives can be implemented.”

The state minister added: “There may have been some limitations in the data selection process in the past, which could have led to inconsistencies in the overall assessment of activities or performance. Efforts are now underway to address these shortcomings.”

On implementing the task force’s recommendations, he said, “The committee’s recommendations will be reviewed as necessary.”