The previous government's economic data were based on weak foundations, reflecting a sense of helplessness by officials of that time, according to Debapriya Bhattacharya, a distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue. 

Bhattacharya, who leads a 12-member committee preparing a white paper on Bangladesh's economy, made the remarks during a press briefing at the Planning Ministry today.

The committee met with representatives from 24 government organisations and ministries to review and discuss the state of data collection and analysis. Bhattacharya emphasised the need for robust methods to improve future economic estimates.

The discussions also covered issues related to the annual development plan, challenges with five-year plans, and agreements concerning energy and foreign loans. 

The committee plans to continue consultations for another month and will soon hold town hall meetings outside Dhaka to gather further input. The white paper drafting process is set to begin shortly.