Support to Sustainable Graduation Project (SSGP) of ERD in collaboration with Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics organized a two-day long training program on ‘Reliable Data Exposure Relevant to Development Synergy’ on 28 and 29 December 2020.
Around 20 officials from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics participated in the training program and shared their knowledge and views on graduation related data and statistics.
Secretary of Statistics and Informatics Division Mohammad Yamin Chowdhury attended the inaugural session of the training program as chief guest.
Secretary of the Economic Relations Division Ms. Fatima Yasmin joined the closing session of the two day long program through online. Director General of BBS Mr. Mohammad Tajul Islam was also present during the closing session.
National Project Director of SSGP and Wing Chief of the Development Effectiveness Wing of ERD Mr. Farid Aziz chaired both the inaugural and closing session of the event.
Speaking during the inaugural session, SID Secretary Mohammad Yamin Chowdhury noted that Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics had played a crucial role in ensuring necessary synergy between graduation related data coming from the Bangladesh Government and the United Nations.
Mr. Chowdhury opined that the two-day long training program organized by SSGP would be helpful in maintaining that synergy and for ensuring a smooth and sustainable graduation.
He also appreciated the active role played by SSGP in coordinating all the activities related to graduation.
ERD Secretary Ms. Fatima Yasmin, in her speech, thanked BBS for maintaining necessary synergy with the data coming from the United Nations when it comes to graduation related indicators.
She also noted that the BBS data is now widely used by almost all the international organizations in their research works.
Director General of BBS Mr. Mohammad Tajul Islam opined that graduation from LDC may usher new opportunities for the country.
Project Director of SSGP Mr. Farid Aziz, in his remarks, identified the BBS as an important stakeholder in the graduation process.
In this context, he recalled that SSGP had been maintaining close collaboration with the BBS regarding graduation related issues.
A total of six technical sessions were held over the two-day long period focusing on Macroeconomic Framework and Concept of Development; Sustainable Graduation: Effects and Challenges for Bangladesh; Criterion for LDC Graduation and Calculation Methodology; Statistical Methods and Estimation; System of National Accounts and Compilation of GDP, GNI and Per Capita Income and Demographic Indicator Related to LDC Graduation.
Bangladesh met all the criteria for graduating from the LDC status back in 2018. In the current trend, it is expected that the country would meet all those criteria again during the next triennial review of the Committee for Development Policy of the United Nations in February 2021.
In this context, SSGP has been organizing a series of training programs to sensitize the government officials about the graduation related data and statistics with a view to maintain a greater synergy between national and international data.