Swapon stresses scientific data management for evidence-based policymaking.
Prime Minister’s Political Adviser and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Planning Zahir Uddin Swapon today stressed the need for ensuring the scientific collection, interpretation and management of statistical data to support evidence-based policymaking and effective national planning.
“Data collection, interpretation and organisation, followed by transforming information into knowledge products and incorporating them into policy formulation, must follow a complete scientific process,” he said.
Speaking at a discussion marking National Statistics Day 2026 as a special guest at the BBS Auditorium today, Swapon said reliable statistics serve as a vital resource for a country, while the scientific process of transforming data into useful knowledge plays a crucial role in national decision-making.
Explaining the importance of maintaining the integrity of statistical information, he compared the process with medical diagnosis, saying that diagnostic reports must reflect patients’ actual health conditions rather than follow predetermined prescriptions.
He said pharmaceutical companies, doctors and diagnostic centres could not be allowed to influence medical prescriptions and reports in a way that compromises the accuracy of diagnosis.
Drawing a parallel, Swapon said the collection of statistical data and its subsequent interpretation must remain independent and scientifically sound. Otherwise, the resulting information could fail to reflect the actual situation and mislead policymakers.
Referring to the previous government’s approach to statistical management, he said the entire process of collecting data, interpreting it through statistical systems and presenting it for planning purposes should not be confined to any predetermined framework.
“Statistics generated through a scientific process can become a more powerful instrument for a state..." he observed.
He said a successful national leader makes sound decisions by following a systematic and scientific process, and reliable information plays a central role in that process.
Swapon also called for strengthening the institutional capacity of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and the Statistics and Informatics Division to ensure that policymakers receive accurate, organised and meaningful information.
Referring to the government’s development vision, Swapon said systematic and coordinated application of statistical methods would help translate development goals into effective policies and decisions.
He expressed the hope that the Planning Ministry, the Statistics and Informatics Division and relevant government institutions would strengthen their efforts to provide policymakers and the Prime Minister with reliable statistical information.
Swapon also called upon experts and officials to further advance the country’s statistical system.
