Bangladeshi mismatch in export data cements doubts on official stats

Now-smaller GDP threatens South Asian nation's negotiation capacity with lenders

20240730 Bangladesh garment

Bangladesh's garment industry is a major export earner. © Reuters

SYFUL ISLAM, Contributing writer

DHAKA -- Doubts over the accuracy of Bangladeshi statistics have cemented further with the recent revelation of big mismatch in export data, deepening the necessity of scrutinizing all of the data provided by the government.

Bangladesh's central bank in early July published "corrected" export data for the period of July 2023 to April 2024, saying that the actual exports during that period were worth $33.67 billion, although the Export Promotion Bureau had said they were $47.47 billion -- a gap of $13.8 billion between the two figures.

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