Bangladesh reaffirms commitment to strengthen public investment governance

Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed on Monday reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to strengthening governance in public investment by enhancing efficiency, transparency, and accountability in financial management.

“Sustainable development is built on accountability, transparency, and ethical governance. These are not just ideals, but practical tools—evaluation, auditing, and compliance—that ensure our policies deliver real results,” he said.

Dr. Ahmed was speaking as chief guest at the inaugural session of a seminar titled “Transforming Development: Building a Culture of Accountability through Evaluation, Auditing, and Ethics,” held at a city hotel.

The high-level event was co-hosted by the Economic Relations Division (ERD) of the Ministry of Finance and the New Development Bank’s (NDB) Independent Evaluation Office, Internal Audit Department, and Compliance and Investigations Department. The seminar focused on embedding accountability, evaluation, and integrity into development projects—key pillars of Bangladesh’s growth agenda.

The event brought together over 150 participants, including senior policymakers, development professionals, and private sector leaders, creating a platform for cross-learning among emerging economies. It also highlighted NDB’s approach to sustainable development through integrated systems for evaluation, audit, and compliance.

Additional Secretary and Wing Chief (Asia, JEC and F&F), ERD, delivered the welcome address. Ashwani K. Muthoo, Director General of the NDB's Independent Evaluation Office, gave the introductory remarks.

Special guests included Md Kamal Uddin, Secretary of the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED), and Iqbal Abdullah Harun, Secretary of the Planning Division. ERD Secretary Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky also spoke at the event.

Siddiky noted that the seminar offered a valuable opportunity for dialogue and knowledge sharing. “We must learn from international experience and adapt global best practices to our local context,” he said.

Muthoo expressed NDB’s willingness to support Bangladesh in finalizing its upcoming National Project Evaluation Policy, emphasizing the Bank’s interest in deeper collaboration with the government.

The seminar marked growing cooperation between Bangladesh and NDB, which Bangladesh joined in 2021 as its first non-BRICS member. As the government scales up its infrastructure development efforts, the discussions underscored the importance of good governance, sustainability, and evaluation in achieving long-term national development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).