Statistical association hosts National Statistical Conference'25

The Bangladesh Statistical Association (BSA) inaugurated its 19th National Statistical Conference 2025 today (22 August), a two-day event held at the Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Center (BCFCC) in Dhaka.

The conference, which will run through tomorrow, is themed "Advancing Official Statistics through Data Science: Bridging Tradition and Innovation," according to a press release.

The event aims to promote the integration of classical statistical methods with modern data science to strengthen evidence-based policymaking and support national development.

Wahiduddin Mahmud, adviser to the Ministry of Planning, graced the inaugural session as Chief Guest.

He was joined by special guests Hossain Zillur Rahman, executive chairman of PPRC and chairperson of BRAC; Aleya Akter, secretary of the Statistics and Informatics Division; and Professor Shahjahan Khan, vice chancellor of Asian University of Bangladesh.

Professor Syed Shahadat Hossain, PhD, president of the BSA, chaired the session, while BSA Secretary General Dipankar Roy delivered the welcome address.

The speakers at the session emphasised the central role of data in shaping policies, but highlighted the challenge of mainstreaming and integrating vast and varied data sources into official statistics.

They stressed the importance of creating a platform for statisticians, data scientists, and professionals to work together, a role the BSA is committed to advancing through the conference.

According to Professor Md Shafiqur Rahman, convener of the conference convening committee, the event will feature two keynote speeches, some 24 invited talks across three sessions, and 96 presentations in 10 technical sessions.

Topics will cover statistical methodology, official statistics, and applications of data science.

A special roundtable discussion with UN development partners is also scheduled to foster collaboration and innovation in using statistics to shape Bangladesh's future.