Statisticians have called for creating a platform where statisticians, data scientists, and professionals can work together to overcome the challenges for producing official data.
The call came on Friday at the inaugural session of the two-day 19th National Statistical Conference 2025 of the Bangladesh Statistical Association (BSA) being held the Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Center (BCFCC), Dhaka.
The speakers emphasized that data are central to shaping policies and interventions, but the real challenge lies in mainstreaming and integrating the vast and varied sources of data into official statistics, according to a release.
The conference will focus on advancing the platform through a number of sideline events in line with this year’s theme, “Advancing Official Statistics through Data Science: Bridging Tradition and Innovation,”
The theme emphasises integrating classical methods with modern data science to strengthen evidence-based policymaking and support national development.
The inaugural session was attended by Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud as the chief gust. Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman, executive chairman of PPRC and chairperson of BRAC; Aleya Akter, secretary, Statistics and Informatics Division; and Prof Dr Shahjahan Khan, vice chancellor, Asian University of Bangladesh, joined as special guests.
Over two days, the conference will feature two keynote speeches, 24 invited talks in 3 invited sessions, and 10 contributed technical sessions with 96 talks addressing statistical methodology, official statistics, and applications of data science, Prof Md Shafiqur Rahman, research and publications secretary of BSA, told the event.
There will be a special round table discussion with the UN development partners. By bringing together statisticians, researchers, and policymakers, the conference aims to foster collaboration, innovation, and stronger use of statistics in shaping Bangladesh’s future.
The inaugural session was chaired by Prof Syed Shahadat Hossain, president of BSA and professor at ISRT, University of Dhaka. Dr. Dipankar Roy, secretary general of BSA and joint secretary, Statistics and Informatics Division, delivered the welcome address. The inaugural programme was conducted by Prof Jahida Gulshan, cultural secretary of BSA and professor at ISRT, University of Dhaka.