Debapriya calls for protection of a national eco-data system

Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), on Thursday described national data as the "Fifth Pillar of the State" and called for the protection of a national eco-data system.

"If we want to drive development of Bangladesh towards advancement, the existing lack of data, if this lacking cannot be mitigated, then the planning will not be right resulting in the non-up to the mark implementation,” he said.

Dr Debapriya made the remarks while delivering the keynote speech at the Distinguished Lecture Series: “The State of Bangladesh Economy: What Is To Be Done?” at a city hotel.

The Bay of Bengal Institute and Cosmos Foundation jointly organised the event.

Cosmos Foundation Chairman and Bay of Bengal Institute Chairman Enayetullah Khan delivered the welcome speech, while Cosmos Foundation President Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury chaired the programme.

Ambassador (Retd) Tariq Ahmad Karim, Honorary Emeritus Adviser to Cosmos Foundation and President of the Bay of Bengal Institute, delivered the closing remarks.

Debapriya, also the head of the white paper committee, said the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics has to be established on a modern and scientific base.

“And it should be given protection, for that National Statistics should be seen as the fifth pillar of the state. And like the Election Commission and Public Service Commission it should be turned into a commission,” the eminent economist said.

He mentioned that in the White Paper they have proposed to put that Commission to be accountable to the President.

Dr Mahfuz Kabir, Research Director of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), and Parvez Karim Abbasi, Assistant Professor of Economics at East West University, participated in the discussion on the keynote speech.