Bangladesh, July 17 -- Roads connect cities, bridges connect regions, electricity powers industries and digital networks connect people. Equally important-but often overlooked-is another form of national infrastructure: official statistics. Modern governments govern through data. Budgets, investment, education, healthcare and social protection all depend on reliable statistics. Yet their value lies not only in accuracy but also in public trust. Once confidence erodes, even sound statistics lose credibility and policymaking shifts from evidence to assumption. Bangladesh has invested heavily in physical infrastructure. Its next priority should be strengthening the credibility of official statistics.

Bangladesh's Statistical System: A Nati...