Govt moves to audit GDP, update base year to FY26

Bangladesh is preparing a comprehensive overhaul of its national economic statistics, including a draft forensic audit of gross domestic product (GDP) and a transition to a modern base year for economic output calculations.

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has launched preliminary surveys to rebase GDP calculations to fiscal year 2025-26 (FY26), replacing the outdated FY15 baseline. 

Officials state the rebasing will better capture structural shifts in the economy, offering a more precise measure of its overall size and sectoral performance.

The initiatives were outlined during the inaugural FY27 meeting of the National Advisory Council for Statistics (NACS) at the NEC Conference Room in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Wednesday.

Chaired by Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, the council reviewed the GDP forensic audit's status, broader efforts to modernise the national statistical infrastructure, and proposed updates to the Statistics Act 2013.

To align national practices with global standards, an expert panel recommended amending the Statistics Act 2013 to formally cover the National Statistical System, administrative data integration, big data usage, and the United Nations’ Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics.

A final proposal for the amendments is being prepared.

The meeting also reviewed the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) 2026-30. 

Its final draft is being aligned with the government's Five-Year Strategic Framework for July 2026 to June 2031, the election manifesto and the Sustainable Development Goals.

As part of efforts to modernise data collection, the BBS has introduced Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI), using tablets and computers, while field activities are being monitored through a Network Operations Centre dashboard.

A master plan for an Integrated Statistical Data Warehouse has also been finalised to centrally store census and survey data for future research and policymaking.

The BBS has established a Microdata Analysis Lab and completed a draft Data and Microdata Dissemination and Access Policy 2026 to improve data accessibility for researchers and other users.

Meanwhile, a technical committee comprising university statistics faculty members and representatives from the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies and the General Economics Division is reviewing sample sizes and market coverage to improve the accuracy of the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The BBS has also begun working with the Department of Food to monitor rice prices and verify market data.

Fieldwork is underway for the Ethnic Communities Survey 2026, Passenger Water Transport Census 2026 and an assessment of the tourism sector's contribution to the economy.

The meeting stressed the need for regular and assured funding from the revenue budget for major statistical exercises, including the Population and Housing Census, Household Income and Expenditure Survey, Labour Force Survey and Sample Vital Registration System.

It warned that irregular funding could undermine the continuity and quality of these activities.

The meeting also decided to implement the recommendations of the BBS Reform Task Force and strengthen the bureau's administrative and staffing structures to improve the quality, transparency and accountability of official statistics.