DHAKA, Feb 26, 2023 (BSS) -The government will observe the National Statistics Day-2023 tomorrow for the third time in order to make the government statistics more public oriented and also to reach those to the doorsteps of people.

The theme of this year's National Statistics Day is 'Development of Statistics System, Formation of Smart Bangladesh (Porishongkhan Bebosthar Unnoyon, Smart Bangladesh Gothon)', an official release said here today.

On the eve of the day, President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in separate messages, expressed their happiness as the Statistics and Informatics Division under the Planning Ministry and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) are going to observe the day jointly. 

President Abdul Hamid in his message said: "Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had established the BBS in 1974 as a unique and separate body for obtaining accurate information and reliable statistics for adoption and implementation of developmental plans."

The head of the state said that since its inception, BBS has been providing timely and reliable data on policy formulation, adoption and implementation of development plans at national and regional levels.

The use of digital technology in the collection, compilation and publication of information by BBS will accelerate the government's commitment to building a 'Smart Bangladesh'.

It also helps the government's efforts to build a prosperous 'Sonar Bangla', he added.

The Prime Minister, in her message, said: "Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had established BBS in 1974 by uniting and coordinating four separate organizations engaged in statistics realizing the importance of statistics to monitor proper planning formulation, development and progress in Bangladesh after the great war of liberation in 1971."

The Statistics Division was later established in 1975 to coordinate, supervise and provide secretarial support to the national statistics system including BBS, the premier added.

One of the manifestations of the capacity of the National Statistical System is conducting census and housing enumeration in a completely digital manner for the first time in 2022 and publishing the preliminary report within a month.

She hoped that the government would be able to build the hunger-poverty-free, developed and prosperous golden Bangladesh as dreamt by father of nation within 2041 by adopting the right plan with the help of timely and accurate statistics.

Both the president and the premier wished the overall success of all the programmes taken on the occasion of the National Statistics Day-2023.