StatBio Academy

# :
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

The main reason for disbelief in statistics are
(i) Malpolitics (অপরাজনীতি )
(ii) Ignorance (অজ্ঞতা)
(iii) Unprofessionalism. (অপেশাদারিত্ত )

#
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
In the academic field, there was a growing realization of importance of statistics in the university of dhaka. In 1937-38 Professor satyendra nath bose, Head of the department of Physics, sent quazi motahar hosain for the study of statistics under the famous Professor PC Mahalanabish at ISI. Quazi Motahar Hosain received diploma in Statistics from the Indian Statistical Institute in 1938. Simultaneously, he obtained another MA degree in Mathematics from Calcutta University. In 1939, a regular course of statistics was first introduced at pre-graduate level for the student of the Dhaka Agricultural Institute under Dhaka University and Quazi Motahar Hosain was the teacher of that course. He obtained PhD in Statistics on 'Design of Experiments' from Dhaka University in 1951. In fact Quazi Motahar Hosain was the first academic statistician of East Bengal. Hosain himself wrote a book on statistics in Bangla language titled “Tatthya Ganit” which is enormously useful in understanding statistical terminology.
The University of Dhaka introduced statistics as an optional paper in the BSc honours level in 1940. This was later extended to the MA/MSc courses in 1941 and BSc pass course in 1944. The birth of Pakistan in 1947 felt the urgent need of trained statistician. Dhaka University served as nucleus for development of Statistics in East Pakistan. Statistics was separated from the department of Mathematics in 1949 and turned into a full-fledged department teaching at the pass and honours BA/BSc courses and MA/MSc courses. The first batch of MA/MSc in statistics came out in 1951.
The University of Dhaka felt the need of a Statistical Institute as early as 1952. As a preparation for this, the first was the formation of a Statistical Survey Research Unit (SSRU) in the university with a separate constitution of its own framed by the Executive Council (now called Syndicate). Professor Quazi Motahar Hosain was the Director of the Unit and ANM Muniruzzaman was the Deputy Director. Some national surveys (such as Demographic Survey, Population Growth Estimation) were successfully conducted by the SSRU and it accelerated the establishment of an institute. The Institute of Statistical Research and Training (ISRT) was established in 1964 under Dhaka University with Professor Quazi Motahar Hosain as the Director. The main aim and object of this institute was to provide facilities for training and advanced studies in statistics and to conduct survey and research on statistical methods and analysis. The first journal in statistics called Bulletin of the Institute of Statistical Research and Training came into existence with an inaugural issue on the occasion of the first graduation ceremony of the Institute in March 1967. Now it is renamed as Journal of Statistical Research and recognised as an international journal. The Journal of Demography is also published from this institute regularly. At present, ISRT offers BSc (Honours) in Applied Statistics and MSc in Demography and other short course on statistics.
The Rajshahi University established a full-fledged department of Statistics in 1961, Chittagong University established the same in 1970. The Bangladesh Agricultural University started a department of Agricultural Statistics in 1963 to produce agriculture statistician.
After the War of Liberation in 1971, the newly born Bangladesh, standing on the threshold of developments with limited resources and unlimited needs, felt keenly the importance of statistics. The bangladesh bureau of statistics (BBS) was established by the government in August 1974 and a Statistical Division was established in 1975 under the Ministry of Finance and Planning to provide ministry level support for the development of statistics in the country in general and the BBS in particular. The National Statistical Council (NSC) was constituted by the government in August 1977 as the supreme policy making body in the field of statistics at the national level. The National Statistics Council is chaired by the Minister in charge of Finance and Planning and the Secretary of the Statistics Division as the vice chairman. The Bangladesh Bureau of Education Information and Statistics was established in 1977 to collect, compile, preserve and dissemination of data relating to education.
The establishment of large number of statistical organizations after liberation naturally demanded a large number of trained personnel in statistics. jahangirnagar university opened a full-fledged department of Statistics in 1971, and later shahjalal university of science and technology followed suit in 1992. Now there are full-fledged department of Statistics in Chittagong Government College and Rajshahi Government College. All these universities and colleges have been offering BSc (Honours), BSc (Pass) and MSc courses in Statistics. At present, all the departments of Sciences, Commerce, Social Sciences and in some departments of Arts in different universities and colleges are offering courses in Statistics. Besides, different institutes, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh Institute of Technology, Medical Colleges, and some selected degree colleges in the country offer courses on statistics. The subject is also introduced in Higher Secondary School Certificate curricula.
In early 1970s statisticians of Bangladesh formed the Bangladesh Statistical Association. The association arranges seminars and workshops on statistics in different universities every year. Every two years, the association organizes National Conference in Statistics. Statisticians of Bangladesh are internationally recognized and many of them are now teaching and engaged in different organizations and universities of foreign countries like USA, UK, Canada, Australia and other countries of the world.