Stronger financial reporting, corporate governance and risk management are essential to restoring investor confidence and attracting sustainable global capital, said Tanvir Shahriar Ghani, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, on Monday.

“Investors rely on the integrity and accuracy of financial information when making decisions. If that trust is broken, investors lose money and confidence in the entire capital market suffers,” he said.

Ghani was speaking as the chief guest at a conference organised to mark World Investor Week (WIW) 2026 at the ICAB Auditorium in Kawran Bazar.

He said Bangladesh already has the key institutions and professional bodies needed to build a strong financial ecosystem, but the challenge lies in implementing global standards consistently and effectively.

“We must ensure that comparable companies are assessed under comparable standards and, above all, strengthen professional integrity through self-discipline, accountability and ethical conduct,” he said.

The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) is observing the 10th annual World Investor Week from October 5 to 11, aiming to promote investor education, awareness and resilience in global capital markets.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB), Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB), Institute of Chartered Secretaries of Bangladesh (ICSB), Institute of Internal Auditors Bangladesh (IIAB) and Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) jointly organised the conference titled “Building Investor Confidence: The Role of Professional Bodies in Audit, Reporting, Governance and Risk Management.”

BSEC Chairman Masud Khan attended the programme as the special guest.

He said a strong financial ecosystem depends on complementary professional roles, with chartered accountants, cost and management accountants, chartered secretaries, ACCA professionals and internal auditors contributing expertise in financial reporting, audit, governance, management accounting and risk management.

Masud also stressed the importance of appropriate audit fees, saying that once audit fees are properly determined, the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) would introduce stringent rules to ensure quality audits in line with the IFAC Code of Ethics and professional standards.

The conference also focused on investor resilience, digital deception and scam alerts, along with the basics of investing and the role of young investors.

ICAB Vice President Asifur Rahman presented a paper on “Building Investor Resilience: ICAB’s Role in Reporting, Governance and Risk Management,” highlighting the importance of reliable financial reporting, strong governance and independent audit assurance.

ICMAB Council Member Arif Khan presented a keynote paper on “Rebuilding Corporate Confidence in Getting Listed,” focusing on challenges facing Bangladesh’s capital market, including the prolonged absence of IPO approvals since March 2024.

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

The conference underscored the need for coordinated action by professional bodies, regulators and other stakeholders to strengthen investor protection, improve market transparency and support the long-term development of Bangladesh’s capital market.