Taskforce warns BBS trapped in 'project culture,' urges reforms for independence
Their report says BBS became reliant on donor funding around FY2006–07 amid budget uncertainty and over time, this evolved into a full‑blown project culture, creating “data silos,” imposing externally dictated methodologies, and encouraging inefficiency in budget management
The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has drifted away from its core mandate of producing regular and impartial national data due to an excessive reliance on project‑based operations, according to a taskforce report released today (20 October).
Unveiled at an event marking National Statistics Day, the report warns that this entrenched "project culture" has diverted BBS from its primary responsibilities, weakened field‑level data collection, compromised data quality, and fostered a Dhaka‑centric bureaucracy.
Formed by the Statistics and Informatics Division (SID) on 28 April, the eight‑member independent taskforce was tasked with reviewing BBS's quality, transparency, survey methods, and institutional capacity, and recommending reforms.
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The report identifies political sensitivity, bureaucratic complexity, and overdependence on externally funded projects as key factors delaying and distorting data publication. It says BBS has long been trapped in a donor‑driven framework that has eroded institutional memory, encouraged unhealthy internal competition, and left field operations under‑resourced.
Tracing the roots of this dependency, the report notes that BBS became reliant on donor funding around FY2006–07 amid budget uncertainty. Over time, this evolved into a full‑blown project culture, creating "data silos," imposing externally dictated methodologies, and encouraging inefficiency in budget management.
Speaking at the event, taskforce Chair Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman said, "To transform BBS into a modern, professional, and independent national statistical institution, it must break free from project dependency and adopt a permanent structure backed by policy reform."
The report also cautions that BBS remains vulnerable to political interference, with administrative and political pressures often influencing whether data that might reflect poorly on government performance are released — undermining both credibility and timeliness.
"A credible National Statistics Office is the backbone of modern statecraft," the report states. "Public trust in government statistics will only be restored when data are produced professionally, transparently, and free from political influence."
Among its final recommendations, the taskforce proposes forming a Task Team led by the Planning Adviser to oversee and drive implementation of the reforms.
"We hope this analysis and these recommendations will help BBS evolve into a truly strong and independent statistical institution — one that serves both the state and its citizens," Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman added.
