The BCS (Statistical) Cadre Association, a platform of government statisticians, strongly opposed the public administration reform commission鈥檚 recommendations that excluded their professional service from the proposed restructured civil service framework.
A press release, signed by association president Emdadul Haque and general secretary Ariful Islam, said on Tuesday that the reform commission鈥檚 proposals published online on February 8, sparked widespread concern among statisticians and public service professionals.
鈥楾he public administration reform commission鈥檚 recommendation to label the statistics cadre as 鈥淣ot Applicable鈥� for inclusion in the restructured civil service is shocking and disappointing,鈥� the release said.
The association argued that this decision contradicted the interim government鈥檚 commitment to fairness and a citizen-friendly administration, as inspired by the July 2024 student-led movement.
The release also stated that the exclusion devalued the expertise of statisticians and risked undermining a data-driven governance approach.
According to the association, the reform commission did not consult relevant stakeholders, including BCS (Statistics) cadre officials or Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics representatives, before drafting its proposal.
Criticising the recommendations, the association said that the proposed聽 upgradation of BBS to the Bangladesh Statistical Commission and simultaneously keeping the Statistics Division under the planning ministry was contradictory.
The association feared that this could place the proposed commission under bureaucratic control, hindering its independence.
The association leaders demanded establishment of a Bangladesh Statistical Service, an independent National Statistical System Reform Commission and restructuring of the BBS as an autonomous body accountable to Jatiya Sangsad.
Officials from the BCS (Statistics) cadre, working under the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics,聽 play聽 a crucial role in national reform efforts while conducting key public opinion surveys for the reform commissions on constitution, electoral, media, local government and health, the release said.
