Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed on Sunday underscored Bangladesh’s strong commitment to enhancing governance in public investment by ensuring efficiency, transparency, and accountability in financial services.
“The foundation of sustainable development rests on three pillars: accountability, transparency, and ethical governance. These are not abstract ideals but practical necessities,” he said while inaugurating a seminar titled “Transforming Development: Building a Culture of Accountability through Evaluation, Auditing, and Ethics”, at a hotel in Dhaka.
Dr Salehuddin said evaluation, auditing, and compliance are essential tools for building these pillars.
“They ensure that our policies and projects go beyond paperwork and deliver real benefits to the people,” he said.
The event was jointly organised by the Economic Relations Division (ERD) of the Ministry of Finance and three departments of the New Development Bank (NDB)—the Independent Evaluation Office, the Internal Audit Department, and the Compliance and Investigations Department.
The seminar focused on embedding accountability, evaluation, and integrity at the core of development efforts—considered vital to advancing Bangladesh’s growth agenda.
More than 150 participants, including senior government officials, development experts, and private sector leaders, attended the seminar, which served as a platform for cross-country learning and experience-sharing among emerging economies.
The daylong event also featured keynote speeches from international development leaders, reflecting the growing collaboration between Bangladesh and the NDB. Bangladesh joined the Bank in 2021 as its first non-BRICS member.
As Bangladesh fast-tracks its infrastructure development ambitions, the seminar highlighted the importance of sound governance, strong evaluation frameworks, and long-term sustainability.
It also showcased the NDB’s commitment to supporting Bangladesh’s development priorities and the broader Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
