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Tuesday | October 06, 2026 | Dhaka
World Investor Week - 2026

Professional bodies call for stronger financial reporting to build investor confidence

 Business Report
 Published: 12:01 AM, 06 October 2026  Updated: 10:36 PM, 05 October 2026

Five leading professional bodies have joined forces to strengthen investor confidence and promote transparency, good governance and risk management in Bangladesh’s capital market as part of World Investor Week (WIW) 2026.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB), ICMAB, ICSB, Institute of Internal Auditors Bangladesh (IIAB) and ACCA jointly organised a conference titled “Building Investor Confidence: The Role of Professional Bodies in Audit, Reporting, Governance and Risk Management” at the ICAB Auditorium in Dhaka on Monday.

The conference highlighted the critical role of professional bodies in strengtheninginvestor confidence through quality financial reporting, good governance,transparency, effective risk management and professional accountability, contributing to the sustainable development of Bangladesh’s capital market.

The event was held as part of the 10th annual World Investor Week, observed by the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) from October 5 to 11 to promote investor education, awareness and resilience.

Tanvir Shahriar Ghani, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, attended the conference as chief guest, while BSEC Chairman Masud Khan was the special guest.

ICAB President Sabbir Ahmed welcomed the participants, while ICMAB President Kausar Alam delivered the closing remarks.

The conference focused on the key IOSCO themes of investor resilience, digital deception and scam alerts, alongside investment basics and the needs of young and future investors.

Presenting a paper titled “Building Investor Resilience: ICAB’s Role in Reporting, Governance and Risk Management”, ICAB Vice President Asifur Rahman FCA stressed the importance of reliable financial reporting, effective governance and independent audit in maintaining market integrity.

He highlighted ICAB’s initiatives, including DVS-based verification of financial reports and cooperation with regulatory and government bodies such as the Financial Reporting Council, NBR, Bangladesh Bank and RJSC.

In a keynote presentation, ICMAB Council Member Arif Khan FCMA discussed challenges facing Bangladesh’s capital market, including the prolonged absence of IPO approvals since March 2024.

He identified low valuations, lengthy approval processes, excessive paperwork, policy uncertainty and weak investor confidence as major barriers to new listings.

The conference stressed that professional bodies can play a vital role in ensuring credible reporting, audit quality, fair valuation, sound governance and investor protection.