IOM convenes National Dialogue on Migration Data Landscape in Bangladesh

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), with support from the European Union and in close coordination with the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), convened the National Dialogue on the Migration Data Landscape on Wednesday.

The event brought together senior representatives from the Government of Bangladesh, development partners, UN agencies, and civil society to strengthen collective efforts toward a responsive and integrated migration data system, said a press release on Thursday.

The dialogue underscored the vital role of accurate, timely, and disaggregated migration data in shaping evidence-based policymaking.

Participants highlighted that stronger data systems are essential to ensure interventions are inclusive, effective, and aligned with national development priorities as well as international commitments, including the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Two high-level panel discussions formed the centerpiece of the dialogue.

The first explored established and emerging data sources on migration, mobility, and displacement, focusing on ways to strengthen cooperation and modernize data systems for policymaking.

The second addressed gaps in data on irregular migration, trafficking, and smuggling, emphasizing the need for stronger evidence to guide protection measures and inform strategic responses.

Key speakers included senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET), Department of Disaster Management, and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), alongside experts from UN agencies, the European Union, and diplomatic missions.

Inaugurating the event, Mr. Lance Bonneau, Chief of Mission of IOM Bangladesh, emphasized that accurate and timely migration data is central to effective and humane migration governance and critical in informing policy development to address Bangladesh’s diverse mobility trends — spanning labour migration, climate-induced displacement, and return migration.

Ms. Jurate Smalskyte Merville, Acting Head of Cooperation and Counsellor, Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to investing in stronger migration data systems, noting the importance of robust evidence across the entire migration cycle.

Mr. Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, Director General of BBS, echoed this sentiment, reiterating the BBS’s dedication to fostering a comprehensive data ecosystem to guide national planning processes.

He underscored ongoing collaboration with UN partners, including IOM, to refine methodologies for data collection and survey activities.

Underscoring the United Nations’ long-standing partnership with the Government of Bangladesh, Ms. Rana Flowers, UN Resident Coordinator a.i. in Bangladesh, stressed that reliable data and evidence are key to advancing effective migration governance.

Additional remarks were delivered by Dr. Kazi Shahjahan, Joint Secretary, UN Wing, Economic Relations Division and Mr. Md. Toufiq-ur-Rahman, Director General, Multilateral Economic Affairs Wing, Ministry of Foreign.