Govt removes ministerial approval requirement for release of official statistics

Official statistical reports in Bangladesh will no longer require approval from the planning minister before publication, under a newly issued government policy aimed at enhancing transparency and reducing political interference.

According to the Statistics Compilation, Publication and Preservation Policy recently issued by the Ministry of Planning, the Director General of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) will now have sole authority to release all official statistical data.

The move is expected to shorten publication timelines and curb alleged manipulation of economic indicators. Previously, reports from BBS — including surveys and censuses — required clearance from the planning minister or adviser before being made public.

Under the new policy, the BBS director general will directly publish key data such as inflation figures, GDP growth, economic census results and labour force survey statistics.

Work on detailed implementation rules is nearing completion, and officials said the regulations could be approved by the advisory council during the tenure of the interim government.

Analysts have long accused successive governments of influencing official data, including inflating GDP growth figures and understating inflation.

The policy also mandates the formation of sector-based technical advisory committees comprising experts to ensure the accuracy, reliability and timely release of statistics.

Each committee will be headed by the BBS director general.

Officials said the reforms aim to strengthen the credibility of Bangladesh’s official data system and align it with international best practices.