Conference Agenda

Research data management needs better, integrated approaches. Data Management Plans (DMPs) are key, but fragmented systems limit their FAIR principles potential. This paper introduces FJORD, a framework evolving DMPs to integrate and orchestrate research ecosystems at an institutional level. FJORD enhances DMPs into supplementary tools, leveraging a project proposal platform to manage, monitor, and track intellectual assets via knowledge graphs, aiding researchers across university systems. The framework exports machine-actionable DMPs (maDMPs) compatible with RDA and existing DMP tools. By providing unified metadata management and system interoperability, FJORD improves FAIRness tracking and assessment, streamlines administration, and accelerates scientific discovery, while maintaining data sovereignty. This paper details FJORD's tenets, architecture, and impact on institutional data strategies and governance.

This technical paper explores the development and strategic role of Geographic Entity Object (GEO) codes in Bangladesh, focusing on their integration into census and survey operations. GEO-Codes are hierarchical geographic identifiers that represent administrative units from Division down to Village and Enumeration Areas (EAs), enabling accurate data collection, integration, service delivery, and smart governance. Each and every dataset can be tracked using this scientific GEO-code.

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) initiated the GEO-Code system in 1978 to prepare for the 1981 Population Census. Collaborating with the Land Record and Survey Department, BBS digitized and systematized the Mouza lists and maps into a scientific coding system. Over the years, this system has evolved into a sophisticated, multi-tiered structure used across all national censuses and socio-economic surveys.

Initially, in 1961, Bangladesh had 4 Divisions and 19 Districts. By 2022, this expanded to 8 Divisions and 64 Districts. Population growth also surged, from 50.84 million in 1961 to 169.83 million in 2022. The number of villages increased from about 68,038 in 1974 to 90,049 in 2022. GEO-Codes have been uniquely assigned to each administrative unit: Division, District, Upazila, Union/Ward, Mouza, and Village.

Historically, geo-coding systems trace back to British colonial cadastral surveys and pre-1971 East Pakistan’s Thana-level census framework. Post-independence, Bangladesh transitioned to a structured multi-level coding system that has now been digitized. The first fully digital implementation occurred in the 2022 Population and Housing Census, covering over 58,846 Mouzas and 600 Upazilas.

By reviewing both historical practices and contemporary innovations, the paper emphasizes that a robust GEO-Coding system is a cornerstone for inclusive development, precise data governance and national planning. With further coordination, Bangladesh can use GEO-Codes for urban planning, AI-driven policymaking, real-time census & survey analytics and maintain robust control over all the government agencies where it is needed most.