Transparent reporting, ownership structures key to restoring investor trust: Tanvir Gani

Truthful financial reporting, transparent ownership and control structures, predictable tax policies and stronger coordination among financial regulators are crucial to restoring investor confidence and attracting more domestic and foreign capital to Bangladesh, said Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Tanvir Shahriar Gani.

Speaking at a World Investor Week 2026 conference in Dhaka today (5 October), Gani said investors assess not only the potential returns from an investment but also the reliability of financial information, the ease of withdrawing or repatriating funds and the predictability of the tax regime.

The conference, titled “Building Investor Confidence: The Role of Professional Bodies in Audit, Reporting, Governance and Risk Management”, was jointly organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB), Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB), Institute of Chartered Secretaries of Bangladesh (ICSB), Insurance Institute of Bangladesh (IIAB) and ACCA at the ICAB auditorium in Kawran Bazar.

“Global capital is highly mobile. Investors want to know where the opportunities are and whether they can trust those opportunities,” he said.

Gani emphasised the need to ensure credible and timely information for investors, particularly in the capital market, where confidence depends heavily on transparency and the quality of corporate disclosures.

He also stressed the importance of clear ownership and control structures to enable investors to properly assess the risks associated with companies and their management.

Predictable tax policies are equally important for investment decisions, he said, adding that frequent or uncertain changes in tax rules can erode investor confidence and undermine long-term investment planning.

BSEC: IPO should take no more than three months

BSEC Chairman Masud Khan, speaking as the special guest, said the IPO approval process should not take more than three months once a company has completed the required documentation and scrutiny.

“There is absolutely no reason why an IPO should take more than three months. Once the necessary work is completed, three months is sufficient,” he said.

ICMAB Council Member Arif Khan, in a paper presented at the conference, identified low company valuations, lengthy approval procedures, excessive documentation, policy uncertainty and weak investor confidence as major obstacles to new listings.

‘Glass ceiling’ keeping good companies away

The BSEC chairman also questioned why many good local companies remain reluctant to list on the stock market.

He described the situation as a “glass ceiling” that needs to be broken and said policymakers and market stakeholders need to identify what is discouraging companies from listing, including valuation, cost of capital, ownership concerns and compliance requirements.

Professional bodies’ role

ICAB Vice President Asifur Rahman FCA said management, boards and auditors each have distinct responsibilities in ensuring reliable financial reporting.

Management prepares financial information, the board oversees it, while auditors provide independent assurance, he said.

He highlighted ICAB’s DVS-based financial reporting verification system and its cooperation with the Financial Reporting Council, NBR, Bangladesh Bank and RJSC to improve the reliability and transparency of financial information.