Mirza Aziz accuses 'politicised' researchers of data manipulation
Thursday, 13 December 2007
FE Report
Finance adviser Mirza Azizul Islam Wednesday criticised "some politicised" researchers for manipulating data to serve their ideological interests and stated that he was strongly opposed to doctoring any data.
"I never interfered in any type of BBS (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics) data, especially on inflation," Islam told a national consultation in the city.
"Some researchers manipulate data and research to serve their political and ideological interests. But I always allow the BBS to publish its own data. I don't want to doctor data," the finance adviser, said.
He was speaking as the chief guest in the consultative meeting on the "Research and Policy Divide," organised by Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), a state-owned think tank.
The finance adviser, a former United Nations economist, noted that the BIDS's reputation as a research institute has suffered, due in part to the fact that it has lost a good number of researchers.
Chaired by BIDS director general Quazi Shahabuddin, the consultative meeting was addressed, among others, by executive director of Manusher Jonno Foundation Shaheen Anam and former member of the Planning Commission Mosharaff Hossain.
Research director of BIDS K.A.S. Murshid presented the keynote paper on "Bridging the Research and Policy Divide" in the seminar.
Saying that there exists a gap between policy makers and researchers, the finance adviser maintained that politicians did not trust researchers as the former believes that the latter lives in "ivory tower."
To bridge the gap, Islam called upon the research community to do more research on what can really provide a policy direction to the government and restore their damaged reputation among policy makers.
He also identified areas, notably monetary, fiscal, trade, foreign investment, labour and environment policies, where researchers need to focus.
Islam, however, reminded the research community of the reality that the government may or may not accept the policy recommendations.
In this connection, he noted that Margaret Thatcher, then British prime minister, went for large scale privatisation in the United Kingdom, driven not by research, rather influenced by theories of Adam Smith and Marshall.
Referring to the raging debate over farm subsidies in Bangladesh, Islam said it is a financial problem and it has nothing to do with the policy of the government or the World Trade Organisation, of which Bangladesh is a member.
Responding to a question with regard to donors' conditionalities, Islam said moneymen are neither angels nor devils, but "reasonably sensible" people.
Finance adviser Mirza Azizul Islam Wednesday criticised "some politicised" researchers for manipulating data to serve their ideological interests and stated that he was strongly opposed to doctoring any data.
"I never interfered in any type of BBS (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics) data, especially on inflation," Islam told a national consultation in the city.
"Some researchers manipulate data and research to serve their political and ideological interests. But I always allow the BBS to publish its own data. I don't want to doctor data," the finance adviser, said.
He was speaking as the chief guest in the consultative meeting on the "Research and Policy Divide," organised by Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), a state-owned think tank.
The finance adviser, a former United Nations economist, noted that the BIDS's reputation as a research institute has suffered, due in part to the fact that it has lost a good number of researchers.
Chaired by BIDS director general Quazi Shahabuddin, the consultative meeting was addressed, among others, by executive director of Manusher Jonno Foundation Shaheen Anam and former member of the Planning Commission Mosharaff Hossain.
Research director of BIDS K.A.S. Murshid presented the keynote paper on "Bridging the Research and Policy Divide" in the seminar.
Saying that there exists a gap between policy makers and researchers, the finance adviser maintained that politicians did not trust researchers as the former believes that the latter lives in "ivory tower."
To bridge the gap, Islam called upon the research community to do more research on what can really provide a policy direction to the government and restore their damaged reputation among policy makers.
He also identified areas, notably monetary, fiscal, trade, foreign investment, labour and environment policies, where researchers need to focus.
Islam, however, reminded the research community of the reality that the government may or may not accept the policy recommendations.
In this connection, he noted that Margaret Thatcher, then British prime minister, went for large scale privatisation in the United Kingdom, driven not by research, rather influenced by theories of Adam Smith and Marshall.
Referring to the raging debate over farm subsidies in Bangladesh, Islam said it is a financial problem and it has nothing to do with the policy of the government or the World Trade Organisation, of which Bangladesh is a member.
Responding to a question with regard to donors' conditionalities, Islam said moneymen are neither angels nor devils, but "reasonably sensible" people.