Relevant Activities of BBS: Present Status and Future Plan

1. Relevant Activities of BBS: Present Status and Future Plan Dipankar Roy, PhD Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics

2. 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

3. BBS and SID • Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) was created in 1974 by merging four agencies, namely • 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. Use of New Technology • 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. Agriculture Wing • Compile annual estimates of the acreage, production and yield rate of six major crops- Aus, 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. Demography and Health Wing • Produce statistics on all demographic events • Conduct health and demographic survey, child and mother nutrition survey • Compile gender statistics

14. 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

15. 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)’

16. Statistical Staff Training Institute • organize training programmes on different topics for capacity building of BBS officers and staffs • Holding ‘lessons learnt workshop’ regularly

17. Finance, Administration, and MIS • Manage all the administrative and budgetary activities of the BBS

18. 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

19. 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

20. Bangladesh Poverty Database • Initiative of establishing a comprehensive Nationwide Poverty Database i.e. Bangladesh Poverty Databasewhich 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

21. Dissemination • 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)

22. BBS Publication • 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

23. 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