Make draft ‘Public Audit Bill 2024’ public: TIB

The Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has urged the government to make the draft of the Public Audit Bill 2024 public immediately.

The anti-graft watchdogissued a statement in this regard on Thursday.

It has expressed concern over the secrecy surrounding the draft bill.

Citing media reports, TIB said the draft of the Public Audit Bill 2024 is being finalised through a non-transparent process, involving only the Ministry of Finance, selected government institutions, a donor agency, and the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of Bangladesh.

Terming the move unfortunate, TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, "The long-awaited draft of the Public Audit Bill 2024 has been limited to input from a ministry, departments, offices, agencies, and the World Bank. But is financial oversight and auditing solely the concern of the government and an influential international financial institution?"

He stated that this bill will serve as a legal tool to ensure transparency in the use of public funds.

Iftekharuzzaman said: "Excluding civil society and relevant stakeholders from the consultation process is unacceptable. We urge the immediate public release of the draft to gather feedback from all relevant stakeholders and experts in the public interest."