Finance Minister Opens Microdata Analysis Lab at BBS

Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has emphasized the importance of data independence and professionalism to enhance public trust in government data. The Minister made the remarks today, Sunday (July 5), while addressing an exchange meeting with officials and officially inaugurating the newly established 'Microdata Analysis Lab' at the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka.

State Minister for Planning Zonayed Saki, Secretary of the Statistics and Informatics Division Md. Firoz Sarkar, and Acting Director General of BBS Md. Mir Hossain, along with senior officials, were present at the meeting.

During the discussion, the Minister stressed the need to enhance the capacity of the Statistics and Informatics Division and the BBS. He instructed officials to take initiatives to update the organizational structure and recruitment rules of BBS to improve the career progression and professionalism of its staff. He also called upon public officials to increase research opportunities and ensure the maximum use of government statistics in all policy-making processes. Furthermore, the Minister directed the division to take initiatives to establish a 'Statistics Academy'.

Following the meeting, the Minister officially inaugurated the Microdata Analysis Lab. The lab is a secure on-site research facility of BBS, which will allow authorized students, researchers, economists, policymakers, and other users to analyze anonymized microdata from national censuses and surveys. The lab will play a vital role in research, theses, policy analysis, program evaluation, and evidence-based planning.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, the Minister stated that reliable data is the foundation of proper planning and national development. The Microdata Analysis Lab will provide researchers and policymakers with opportunities for deeper analysis in a secure environment. BBS regularly generates a vast amount of microdata through national censuses and surveys, and this lab will make that data safer, more organized, and research-friendly. He expressed hope that with the vision of "Knowledge from Data, Development from Knowledge," the lab will contribute significantly to building a data-driven Bangladesh.

State Minister for Planning Zonayed Saki remarked that the lab would open new doors of possibilities for students, researchers, economists, and policymakers. He believed that this would make the use of national data more effective in research and policy formulation.

Md. Firoz Sarkar, Secretary of the Statistics and Informatics Division, emphasized the need to balance access to microdata with respondent confidentiality. He noted that the lab, prioritizing sustainable technology, would serve as an effective model for secure data usage, responsible research, and institutional accountability.

//DBtech/ZUP/SMI//