Dhaka, Sept. 29 -- Election Commissioner Tahmida Ahmed has raised doubts over the accuracy of the population data published by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), calling it "questionable."

"Initially, they [BBS] released one figure, and later it was revised downward. Such inconsistencies raise concerns," she said on 28 September while addressing a dialogue with civil society representatives in Agargaon, Dhaka organised as part of preparations for the upcoming national election.

Presenting the Election Commission's (EC) figures, Tahmida said the country's current population stands at 19 crore, based on the national voter list. "We prepared the voter list by visiting households directly, which makes our data reliable. According to...