Relevant Activities of BBS:
Present Status and Future Plan
Dipankar Roy, PhD
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics
Introduction
• The broad functions of BBS are to collect, compile,
analyze and disseminate data and statistics on social,
economic, demographic, environmental and
agricultural sectors
• BBS performs its activities through eight wings
headed by Directors.
• Five subject matter wings: Agriculture Wing, Census
Wing, Demography & Health Wing, Industry &
Labour Wing, National Accounting Wing
• Three service wings: Computer Wing, Statistical Staff
Training Institute, and Field, Administration, and MIS
BBS and SID
• Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) was created in
1974 by merging four agencies, namely
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The Bureau of Statistics
The Bureau of Agriculture Statistics
The Agriculture Census Commission
The Population Census Commission
• Statistics Division was established in 1975, revived in
2010 and it was renamed as Statistics and
Informatics Division (SID) in 2012
Administrative Orders
• The mandate of the BBS has been provided by
a series of administrative orders
• The Agriculture Census Act XLL, 1958
(amended in 1983)
• The Census Order, 1972 (amended in 1980)
• The Industrial Statistics Act XIX, 1942
Statistics Act 2013
• Enacted Statistics Act 2013
• Entrusted BBS with full authority to produce
official statistics
• Agencies, other than NSO, may produce
official statistics subject to prior approval by
BBS
National Strategy for the Development of Statistics
(NSDS)
• Policy and strategic document of BBS
• Prepared to strengthen the national statistical system
• To bring line ministries, departments and
stakeholders in a centralized system
• Addressed all key issues for the development of
official statistics
Use of New Technology
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ICR and iCADE
Secured networking system and database
Audio-visual training
Data transmission through email
CPI automation (introduction of hand-held
device)
• Application of GIS
Wings of BBS
1/2
• Agriculture Wing: Estimating and compiling
agricultural statistics
• Census Wing: Conducting population census,
economic census, and agriculture census
• Computer Wing: Processing data and
updating geo-code
• Demography and Health Wing: Conducting
health and demography survey, child and
mother nutrition survey
Wings of BBS
2/2
• Industry and Labour Wing: Conducting labour
force survey and compiling industrial statistics
• National Accounting Wing: Estimating and
compiling GDP, CPI, and economic statistics
• Statistical Staff Training Institute: Providing
and organizing training programmes for capacity
building
• Field Administration and Management
Information System: Dealing with BBS
administration, management and finance
Agriculture Wing
• Compile annual estimates of the acreage,
production and yield rate of six major cropsAus, Aman, Boro, Wheat, Jute, and Potato and
118 minor crops including vegetables, fruits,
and flowers
• Seasonal forecasts of the area under
cultivation, the estimation of crop damage
caused by natural calamities, wage rates of
agriculture labour, land utilization and
irrigation statistics
Census Wing
• Conduct three decennial censuses, namely,
the population and housing census, the
agriculture census, the economic census
• Carry out some other large scale surveys, e.g.,
long questionnaire, literacy assessment survey
as well as population projection
Computer Wing
• Provide all types of IT support such as data
capture, processing, and tabulation of
different censuses and surveys
• Manage BBS website and provide electronic
data to users
• Maintain, update and provide geographic
codes
Demography and Health Wing
• Produce statistics on all demographic events
• Conduct health and demographic survey, child
and mother nutrition survey
• Compile gender statistics
Industry and Labour Wing
• Compile statistics relating to non-farm
economic activities through some regular and
ad-hoc surveys
• Conduct survey of manufacturing industries,
labour force survey, hotel and restaurant
survey, wholesale and retail trade survey
National Accounting Wing
• Collect, compile, and disseminate of national
accounts statistics and price and wage
statistics such as GDP, CPI, WRI, BMPI, HRI,
QIP etc as well as FTS
• Involvment with ‘international comparison
programme (ICP)’
Statistical Staff Training Institute
• organize training programmes on different
topics for capacity building of BBS officers and
staffs
• Holding ‘lessons learnt workshop’ regularly
Finance, Administration, and MIS
• Manage all the administrative and budgetary
activities of the BBS
Geographic Information System
• Creating Geo-database along with Small Area
ATLAS with population data
• Updating GIS Mouza/Mahallah/EA maps
• Improving SVRS data quality
• Establishing Online data entry system for SVRS
• Preparing time series data on Violence Against
Women (VAW) situation in Bangladesh
Digital Information System
• To develop web enabled GIS based on systematic storing
of all censuses and surveys data
• To establish linkage between the dataset of spatial data
coverage and attribute database in user friendly and
easily accessible format
• To develop dataset by geographic and administrative
areas for development and implementation of different
components of the economy
• To impart training on ICT/GIS to all the officers and staff
members of BBS to improve their professional efficiency
Bangladesh Poverty Database
• Initiative of establishing a comprehensive Nationwide Poverty
Database i.e. Bangladesh Poverty Database which will help
the government and all other stakeholders in identification of
poverty prone individual and household
• This will facilitate in direct program intervention to support
the poor for their betterment and the well being of the
society and the country as a whole
• In particular the database will promote the vast social safety
net programs of the government in rendering the services
direct to the hungers of the poorest segments of the
population in more coordinated way
Dissemination
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Dissemination workshops and seminar
Stakeholders consultation meeting
Users-producers dialogue
Regular participation of press and media
CPI release through press conference
Press conference on important statistical events
Data dissemination through print and electronic
format
• Upload of report onto BBS website for wide
dissemination (www.bbs.gov.bd)
BBS Publication
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Annual Statistical Year Book
Annual Statistical Pocket Book
Annual Statistical Year Book of Agriculture Statistics
Foreign Trade Statistics of Bangladesh
Quarterly News Letter
Monthly Statistical Bulletin
Monthly Release on consumer price index
Monthly Release on foreign trade statistics
Monthly Release on quantum index of industrial
production
Beyond Routine Work
• Urban study with Power and Participation research
Centre (PPRC) of Bangladesh
• Analytical and thematic work with UNICEF and
Bangladesh Institute of Development studies (BIDS)
• Poverty mapping exercise with the World Bank and
WFP
• Involving BBS activities with regional and
international organizations