The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) is preparing to launch an annual advance calendar detailing the scheduled release dates for major government statistics, aiming to enhance the predictability and accessibility of official data for users. The calendar will include publication timelines for censuses, surveys, administrative data, key indicators, metadata, and public-use microdata, according to BBS documents.

The initiative forms part of the bureau’s broader Data and Microdata Dissemination and Access Policy, 2026, designed to overhaul the dissemination and sharing of official statistics and microdata. A draft of this policy has been posted online, with the BBS currently soliciting feedback from stakeholders, including researchers and policymakers who have long expressed a need for clearer data availability schedules.

Under the draft policy, official statistics are treated as a public resource and should be open by default unless restricted by legal or privacy considerations or matters of national interest. If planned release dates are altered due to unforeseen circumstances, the policy mandates that the revised schedule and reasons for the delay be promptly published.

A key component of the policy is the establishment of a Microdata Portal that will offer datasets, dashboards, search and download functionalities, application programming interfaces (APIs), and citation guidelines. The portal is intended to provide not only statistical reports but also anonymized microdata sets, questionnaires, codebooks, and methodological notes.

Microdata access will be categorized based on sensitivity and privacy risks into three tiers: Public Use Files, Licensed Use Files, and Secure Research Files. Public Use Files will be fully anonymized and openly accessible, while more sensitive datasets will require approval and be accessible only under controlled conditions or secure environments. Researchers seeking access to Licensed or Secure Research Files must submit detailed applications explaining their identities, research purposes, and data use plans, agreeing to non-disclosure of individuals’ identities and data restrictions.

All data releases will undergo editing, validation, quality checks, anonymization, and individual identification risk assessments before publication. A Microdata Review Committee will evaluate access applications, with a 30-day window for appeal to the BBS director general in case of rejection.

Md Firoz Sarker, secretary of the Statistics and Informatics Division (SID), emphasized that the advance calendar aims to reduce unnecessary delays and resource waste by providing clear schedules for surveys and data releases. He noted that, following stakeholder consultations, the draft policy will be submitted to the minister for approval. SID is also working on a data warehouse expected to be completed by 2027, after which external users will be able to access microdata remotely through an online platform. Public-use microdata will remain freely available, while fees may be charged for customized data tables and special analyses.

Towfiqul Islam Khan, additional research director at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), welcomed the policy as a positive step toward improving data accessibility, timeliness, and governmental accountability. He highlighted the significance of recognizing data as a public good and the value of a release calendar in enhancing regularity and credibility. Khan also urged other government agencies that generate major datasets, such as those managing public finance data, to consider adopting similar release protocols. He called on BBS, as the primary custodian of national data, to lead these transparency efforts to benefit future administrations and stakeholders alike.