The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) starts the fourth economic census today (Tuesday) after 11 years with a vow to deliver quality economic data.
The census which will conclude on December 26 will be conducted at a cost of Tk 5.79 billion.
The BBS would approach some 7.60 million economic units out of an estimated 12 million units across the country during the 17-day period.
For the first time, the statistical bureau is going to collect data on consumption, expenditure and profit separately during the census, said SM Shakil Akhtar, project director of the Fourth Economic Census 2024, at a press briefing in the city.
Bangladesh's first economic census was conducted in 1986, followed by the second in 2001 and 2003, and the third in 2013.
The economic census usually provides key data on number of establishments like permanent, temporary and economic households at national and sub-national levels, employment generation, business structure, labour force participation and private sector's composition. "We have given focus on quality data production this time. Some new types of economic units like e-commerce has been included during this census," said Shakil Akhtar. Each of our 95,000 enumerators will go to 150 economic units and collect their data during the period, he said.
The final results of the Third Economic Census 2013 revealed that there were a total of 7.818 million economic units in Bangladesh of which 4.514 million are permanent, 0.48 million temporary and 2.821 million economic households.
This marked a significant growth of 110.85 per cent in economic units compared to the 3.708 million reported in the Second Economic Census conducted in 2001 and 2003. The number of permanent establishment was 1.561 million in 1986 which rose to 2.991 million in 2001 & 2003 and to 4.514 million in 2013.
Statistics and Informatics Division Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain requested the public to cooperate with the enumerators by providing accurate information of their units. The information from the economic units will not conflict with the income tax or other taxation system, as the BBS will not share the data with any other entities, he added.
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