In order to keep the government and the private sector updated with proper and latest information through surveys on any issue, there is a serious need for establishing a modern training institute to build competent researchers. Planning Minister MA Mannan on Sunday said this while inaugurating a three-day training on Agriculture Census-2019 on the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) premises in Dhaka.
“I shall request the prime minister to take an initiative to establish a training institute equipped with modern technologies. It is needed to enhance efficiencies of researches to conduct survey for providing best and correct statistics on different sectors for the use of the government and the private organisations as well,” he said.
He urged the BBS to find out a suitable place for this and submit a development project proposal (DPP). “We want a training institute to be developed as a centre of excellence,” he said adding that, “the prime minister always wants more research works to ensure sustainable development of the country.
He said, while preparing any report, the Bureau of Statistics should be careful in minimizing gap in information with any ministry and other organisations.
For example, there is a difference in information on production of rice, the minister cited adding, this gap has to be reduced.
Mannan said: “All concerned should work in a team to conduct a survey correctly.” And for this, there are no alternative to provide training to officials and workforces who will be involved in survey activities, the minister said. He urged surveyors to render their services for the country because proper information is very much crucial for the country’s development.
However, the survey on agricultural census is going to start at the field level from June 9 and will continue until June 20, 2019. During this period, information on crops, fisheries and animal resources will be collected from across the country. For this, BBS is giving special three-day long training to the divisional and district coordinators.
BBS officials said the first zonal operation was held from December 1 to 20 December last year while the second zonal operation was held from February 9 to February 24, 2019. Preparation for survey was taken from February 1 to February 22. The census activities will begin from May 19 to 1 June in current year, they added.
Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Raisul Alam Mandal, Agriculture Secretary Nasiruzzaman, Secretary of Statistics and Information Management Department Sourendra Nath Chakraborty and BBS Director General Krishna Gayen also spoke on the occasion.
