Strong data infrastructure key to better policymaking: Experts

Strengthening public data infrastructure is crucial to bridging the gap between policymakers and realities on the ground, enabling more effective evidence-based decision-making, experts said at a roundtable in Dhaka on Sunday.
Speaking at the event titled "Unlocking Public Data for Policy Impact in Bangladesh," organised by Policy Exchange Bangladesh (PEB), they noted significant shortcomings in data credibility, methodological clarity, and digital infrastructure -- particularly in the energy and social protection sectors.
The event was held at the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) office in Gulshan, in collaboration with the International Growth Centre (IGC) and the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD).
Addressing the roundtable as the guest of honour, Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, executive chairman of the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), stressed the need for greater strategic clarity in data policy.
"While unlocking data is important, the priority should be releasing useful data -- information that is truly necessary," he said.
Dr Rahman outlined four key focus areas: recognising data's critical role in socio-economic policymaking, encouraging its use within the private sector to guide economic strategy, tackling incomplete digital datasets, and enhancing government accountability to prevent data leakage.
A highlight of the event was the unveiling of two prototype digital platforms -- the Bangladesh Energy Dashboard (BED) and the Bangladesh Social Protection Dashboard (BSD) -- aimed at improving access to timely and policy-relevant data.
Developed by IGC Bangladesh, the BED features interactive visualisations and datasets on electricity generation, fuel costs, and distribution trends, supporting more strategic and transparent energy planning.
While participants praised platforms like BED and BSD as steps forward, they also flagged persistent challenges, including delays in releasing disaggregated data and weak coordination among government agencies.
Recommendations from the roundtable included prioritising the release of actionable, policy-aligned data, upgrading IT systems across ministries, enhancing source transparency, and fostering collaboration among public agencies, researchers, and the private sector.
Shahid Vaziralli, head of Research at International Growth Centre (IGC), delivered the keynote address, emphasising that data serves as foundational infrastructure for governance.
"Just as roads move goods and electricity powers factories, data moves insight and knowledge. It connects policymakers to what's happening on the ground," he said.
"If a policymaker doesn't know where students are dropping out or where electricity access is lagging, it's like trying to build a dam without knowing where the river is."
Md Monzurul Islam, superintending engineer at Power Grid Company Bangladesh PLC, noted that although Bangladesh has potential in renewable energy, momentum is lacking. He pointed to slow progress in solar development and limited potential in wind energy.
Towfiqul Islam Khan, senior research fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), stressed that power source selection involves multiple considerations and is not solely in the hands of policymakers. He also called for improving the credibility of the energy dashboard through proper data source citation.
Dilara Begum, joint secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, highlighted that over 80 per cent of her ministry's budget supports economically vulnerable women, including initiatives targeting poverty reduction and mother-child welfare.
However, she acknowledged limitations in the ministry's IT infrastructure, which hinder programme implementation despite opportunities for improvement.
Kabir Uddin Ahmed, director at the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), emphasised the importance of methodological transparency and robust data quality.

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