Background 

Social science research has a crucial role to play as an aid to policy formulation. In an under developed country like Bangladesh it is utmost necessary to build up an institution having comprehensive net-work of social research because detailed knowledge about prevailing socio-economic conditions in the country and proper evaluation of policies and programs already implemented are pre-requisite for realistic planning. This calls for co-ordinated and multi-disciplinary social science research. It is also necessary that there should be awareness among the research institutions and researchers as to the research needs, and among policy makers and other users of research results and what more they need to know for policy formulation and programme development purposes. In other words, there should be a proper environment in which the researchers and users can interact and develop research programs suited to the needs of the time. But such an environment cannot be created unless there is an institution, which performs the catalytic role in this regard. 

It was this realisation that led to the creation of Bangladesh Social Science Research Council (BSSRC) in 1976. Since then this Council has been at the apex of other organisations playing a catalytic role as well as acting as the national co-ordinating body for promotion and development of social science research in the country.