Economic census with digital approach
Staff Reporter :
The fourth Bangladesh Economic Census 2024 commenced yesterday, aiming to gain a detailed understanding of the structural changes in the nation’s economy over time.
The census, conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), will run until 26 December, using a fully digital system.
Statistics and Informatics Secretary Md Mahbubur Rahman inaugurated the census at the BBS Square in Agargaon, Dhaka.
The event was attended by Economic Census Project Director (Additional Secretary) S M Shakil Akhter, Deputy Project Director Md Mizanur Rahman, BBS staff, and students from educational institutions.
A total of 95,000 data collectors will be involved in this nationwide effort, which takes place once every ten years to assess the country’s economy, according to BSS officials.
The goals of the census include mapping the structure of non-agricultural economic activities, providing basic information on enterprises under the System of National Accounts (SNA) 2028, the Bangladesh Standard Industrial Classification (BSIC) 2020, and the National Industrial Policy 2022.
The census will also update enterprise data, categorise institutions based on their economic activities, identify the workforce engaged in these activities, and gather insights into the facilities available in industrial and business establishments.
Additionally, it will classify industries and businesses based on capital investment and workforce size.
The data collected will be invaluable for policymakers, planners, researchers, and other stakeholders involved in industrial development.
To ensure the security and preservation of the data, all collected information will be stored at the Bangladesh Data Center Company Limited (BDCCL), which is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.
The data will remain confidential until it reaches the BBS server via BDCCL, ensuring compliance with the Statistics Act of 2013 and safeguarding personal information.
The public is encouraged to cooperate by providing accurate information to enumerators.
The census will address social and environmental issues, identify challenges, and assess ICT integration in production processes through 70 questions. It will also analyse institutions’ income, expenditure, and profitability.
The country has been divided into 13 divisions, 130 districts, 520 Upazilas, 2,600 zones, 19,000 supervisory areas, and 95,000 enumeration areas for the census.
The three-year Economic Census project has a budget of Tk 579 crore. As the national statistical agency, the BBS conducts population, agricultural, and economic censuses.
The country’s first Economic Census was conducted in 1986, followed by the second in 2001 and 2003 (in phases), and the third in 2013.